DirecTV drops popular Rob Lowe ads after Comcast complaints

The humorous DirecTV commercials featuring actor Rob Lowe are no more after the company has decided to drop the campaign amidst complaints of unsubstantiated claims made in the ads.

The Better Business Bureau's National Advertising Division (NAD) sided with cable provider Comcast, which complained the ads asserted that DirecTV had superior customer service and signal quality without any supportive evidence.

The popular commercials feature a debonair Rob Lowe -- who has DirecTV -- alongside his far less appealing alter egos, also played by Lowe, who have cable TV. The ads always end with the spoken tagline, "Don't be like this me - Get rid of cable and upgrade to DirecTV."

The NAD did not approve of signal reliability claims made in the "Creepy Rob Lowe" commercial:

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They also didn't like the shorter customer service wait time claims in the "Painfully Awkward Rob Lowe" commercial:

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Nor did the NAD approve of the better picture and sound quality claims made in the "Far Less Attractive Rob Lowe" ad:

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The NAD concluded that the company should discontinue the claims in the ads, and DirecTV responded by dropping the campaign. According to TheWrap, DirecTV's Senior Vice President of Marketing Jon Gieselman said the campaign was always intended to conclude at the end of Q1.

The company will continue its new campaign, featuring Hannah Davis, though Gieselman said they reserve the right to bring Lowe back in some form, claiming it had been "extremely successful for the brand."

The new DirecTV ad spokesperson:

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