We were tasked by Saudi Media Company to create promotion around its marquee event; the “Battle of the Baddest” boxing matchup.

Globally boxing's popularity has been in decline for over two decades losing ground to new sports like the UFC.

To add to the challenge, this event was to be held in Saudi Arabia where boxing is only the 6th most popular sport (behind the likes of horse and camel racing) and where tourists from Europe and North America (where boxing is more popular) make up less than 6%.

To ensure commercial success, we needed to break through a cluttered media space to grab attention and convert interest into pay-per-view, ticket and merchandise sales. We need to do that locally and internationally.

We achieved this by creating an ecosystem of creative that defied category tropes, while creating a plethora of touchpoints that directly allowed for event engagement and purchase.

For centuries, boxing has captivated a global audience. But the way it’s promoted still follows the same templated, tired format. We set out to turn it into a spectacle as entertaining as the fight itself.

First, we traded a stock montage for a cinematic trailer showcasing the fighters feeling the effect of each other as they trained—sending shockwaves back and forth and making the whole world rumble in the process.

Then, we replaced the standardized promo poster with a work of art that featured fighters as kings in collaboration with an iconic photographer. The response was so profound that unofficial merch surfaced the next day from unknown sellers.

Finally, we introduced AR filters, 3D out-of-home ads, and physical activations to reach fans globally. Ultimately, the creative transformed a passive and antiquated category into a boundless piece of interactive entertainment the world couldn’t get enough of.

Our goal was to get Boxing and MMA fans to purchase the fight. When our research revealed a lost interest in boxing, our strategy shifted as we realized this had to be bigger than boxing.

Rather than selling the world a boxing fight, we transformed our promotion into something we knew global audiences enjoyed—entertainment. We used Hollywood-style filmmaking, narrative storytelling, iconic music, groundbreaking fashion and art to tap into our audiences interests. To convert interest into sales, we employed innovative approaches online and onground to create an end-to-end customer journey that drove purchase at all touchpoints.

Most boxing promos are soulless and focus on the physical, so we decided to subvert the tropes and take a human-centric approach, using storytelling to engage with sports fans in a new way.

This strategy shift helped reach new audiences and re-engage boxing fans who lost interest, leading to a seismic amount of sales.

The 'BOTB' campaign revolutionized sports promotion by blending innovation with digital scale amidst a landscape dominated by traditional methods. Spearheading this transformation was "Rumble," a 90-second cinematic marvel that defied norms, captivating global audiences with its Mandarin soundtrack and groundbreaking visuals. The campaign's crowning achievement was its unprecedented global presence, highlighted by iconic imagery of fighters portrayed as royalty, showcased across renowned locales like NYC Times Square and the groundbreaking Sphere platform.

Photography transcended boundaries, as digital scans enabled the realization of the "kings" concept in various interactive formats. Leveraging cutting-edge technology like photogrammetry and motion capture, fighters were meticulously recreated, from their appearance to their movements. These digital avatars adorned 3D billboards across major cities and were immortalized as larger-than-life statues, inviting fans to engage with the campaign in-person. With a meticulously orchestrated 20+ day rollout, anticipation for 'BOTB' reached a fever pitch on a global scale.

The campaign had extraordinary impact, transforming a boxing promotion into a globally recognized cultural phenomenon that became, as one UK Media outlet dubbed it, “The Greatest Boxing Promo Ever Made.”

10.5 billion - total impressions across press and social media.

$90.4B USD - estimated earned media value.

104,000+ - participants in online discussions with a 57% positive sentiment rate.

The event had an increased revenue of over 70%

The event was sold out in record time.

Exceeded attendance targets for Riyadh Season, attracting 12 million visitors, a monumental gain on the previous season's 7 million.

40% attendance outside of the region.

Thousands of unofficial merchandise pieces released within 24 hours of campaign launch.