Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Randy Johnson had a killer fastball—at least that was the twisted joke after the Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher accidentally hit a dove with one of his 100-mph throws during a 2001 game.
Johnson, for his part, reportedly never found it funny. (The bird did not survive the mid-air freak accident).
Not exactly a do-over, but DirecTV has recruited Johnson as the centerpiece of a new campaign where birds get the royal treatment. Whether this is part of Johnson’s ongoing penance for his unintentional dove murder is unknown, but the legendary player makes nice with some feathered friends in a long-form ad called “Bird Ballparks” from TBWA\Chiat\Day Los Angeles.
The goal of the spot is to reinforce that DirecTV customers no longer need satellite dishes, so the much-maligned equipment is being repurposed as bird sanctuaries designed to look like miniature baseball stadiums.
Fans can win the bird ballparks via a contest that kicks off today. A second piece of swag—a mullet made of millet bird food and modeled after Johnson’s famous hairdo—will also be part of the sweepstakes.
The campaign is the follow-up from another avian-centric effort from the brand. “For the Birds,” also from Chiat, debuted earlier this year. It stars the voice talent of Steve Buscemi and Henry Winkler as two pigeons upset about the disappearance of DirecTV’s dish.