19. DirecTV

We love a next generation challenger strategy here at The Challenger Project. Its classic ‘choice of the new generation’ territory but, done well, the next generation positioning takes your rival and elegantly positions them as a product or brand of the past, and who wants to live in the past hey grandpa?

DirectTV have kicked off 2016 with a series of great next generation spots about ‘The Settlers” – those pilgrim folk making do with old fashioned cable.

So is it just a couple of good ads or can DirecTV develop into a bone fide challenger this year? It certainly has potential.  Bought by AT&T for $49 billion back in July reports are hinting that they have big plans for it in 2016 - not just stealing share from cable but, by bundling AT&T's unlimited data plans with the service, they could be positioning themselves as a challenger to Netflix.

It’ll take more than a couple of TV spots to do that though, we look forward to seeing what else they have up their sleeves.

www.directv.com

Challengers to Watch:
1. Everlane
1. Everlane

For radical transparency.

2. Slack
2. Slack

For killing email with kindness. 

3. Our Vodka
3. Our Vodka

For figuring out how to be both global and local.

4. Atom Bank
4. Atom Bank

For setting a new standard for 'Challenger Banks'.

5. Jet
5. Jet

For making Amazon's weak spot a competive advantage.

6. Peloton
6. Peloton

For promising to make Apple look small time.

7. Thinx
7. Thinx

For breaking the taboo around menstruation.

8. American Giant
8. American Giant

For paving the way for a new generation of belief-led brands.

9. Mary's Medicinals
9. Mary's Medicinals

For a fresh toke - sorry take, on the cannabis category.

10. Pirch
10. Pirch

For taking the showroom concept to another level.

11. Seedlip Drinks
11. Seedlip Drinks

For bringing color and advance to not-drinking.

12. Chain
12. Chain

For creating a financial platform to one day rival Wall Street.

13. Karma Cola
13. Karma Cola

For 'Drink no Evil' and sticking it to Coke.

14. Tesla Powerwall
14. Tesla Powerwall

For at least attempting to get some of us off the grid.

15. First Utility
15. First Utility

For standing up to the UK's Big 6 Energy firms.

16. Cylance
16. Cylance

For being anti-antivirus.

17. Lyft
17. Lyft

For giving Uber a bloody nose in 2016. (We hope...)

18. Antidate
18. Antidate

For flipping the rules of dating.

19. DirecTV
19. DirecTV

For elegantly positioning cable as a thing of the past.

20. Jimmy's Iced Coffee
20. Jimmy's Iced Coffee

For being the 'Real & Human' challenger in FMCGs.

20 Challengers of 2016Helen RedstoneDirecTV