text: Satellite TV operator DirecTV has pulled the plug on its popular advertising campaign featuring 80s heartthrob Rob Lowe after complaints by rival Comcast. The cable company complained to the Better Business Bureau's National Advertising Division (NAD) that the ads featured a number of false claims and the watchdog has ruled that several of the campaign's claims couldn't be substantiated. The series of ads, which launched last October, featured the 50-year-old actor playing two characters: a handsome Lowe in a slick suit who is always the DirecTV customer and then an 'odd or awkward alter-ego' who was a cable user. Scroll down for video . Satellite TV operator DirecTV is ending its advertising campaign featuring 80s heartthrob Rob Lowe after complaints by rival Comcast that their claims couldn't be substantiated . The ads all ended with Lowe saying: 'Don't be like this me — Get rid of cable and upgrade to DirecTV.' The NAD report highlighted a number of inaccurate claims concerning signal reliability, shorter  customer service wait times, better picture and sound quality and a better sports package. Other issues included the 'superiority message' of Lowe's closing phrase, as well as DirecTV's 'rated No. 1 claim' and another that stated that it has been 'ranked higher than cable for over 10 years.' The NAD also recommended that DirecTV 'either discontinue the price claim featured in the "Scrawny Arms Rob Lowe" commercial or modify it to reflect the price of a package that included the sports programming featured in the commercial.' 'While humor can be an effective and creative way for advertisers to highlight the differences between their products and their competitor's, humor and hyperbole do not relieve an advertiser of the obligation to support messages that their advertisements might reasonably convey — especially if the advertising disparages a competitor's product,' the NAD said on Tuesday. A National Advertising Division report highlighted a series of inaccuracies concerning signal reliability, shorter customer service wait times, better picture and sound quality . 'Given the absence in the record of supporting evidence, NAD recommended the advertiser discontinue the claims.' DirecTV has said it disagrees with NAD's findings with respect to its ranking claims, picture quality claims and sports programming claims and that it plans to appeal. The operator is discontinuing the Lowe-fronted ads, but claims that 'it was always scheduled to end at the end of Q1'. 'We wanted to launch our new campaign with Hannah Davis in the Final Four [NCAA basketball championship],  Jon Gieselman, SVP, Marketing at DirecTV told TheWrap. 'We always reserve the right to bring back the Rob Lowe campaign, either in its current form or with new spots, it has been extremely successful for the brand.' The company had previously argued that its advertisements were 'so outlandish and exaggerated that no reasonable consumer would believe that the statements being made by the alter-ego characters are comparative or need to be substantiated.'
target: Satellite TV operator has ended the campaign  after complaints by rival Comcast that their claims couldn't be substantiated .
  Launched last October, the ads had featured Rob Lowe playing a slick DirecTV customer and an 'odd or awkward alter-ego' who had cable .
  Number of inaccuracies highlighted concerning signal reliability, shorter customer service wait times, better picture and sound quality .
  DirecTV claims the campaign was always going to end at the end of Q1 .