We were tasked by Saudi Media Company to develop a campaign that introduced Riyadh Season, an entertainment destination in the capital of Saudi Arabia, to the world by creating promotion around its marquee event; the “Battle of the Baddest” boxing matchup.

The fight was between two undisputed kings of combat—World Heavyweight Champion Tyson Fury and UFC Champion Francis Ngannou.

This was bigger than the boxing and MMA communities; we needed to get the whole world excited, so we set out to reimagine the tired old boxing promo and create a piece of art as big and spectacular as the fight itself.

The work portrays the regality of the fighters. The art direction takes its cues from royal portraits, paintings and sculptures, the poses are charged with symbolism used to depict kings at war. True to the monarch's treatment, the complexity of the details reflects the expectations of the sponsors, the costumes and accessories have been tailored to integrate their personal stories. The historical meet the technological. The fabrics sourced in royal archives dating from XIX century live alongside 3D printed crowns,

landscapes from Renaissance paintings redrawn as battlefields using AI, thrones minimalized into abstract sculptures, hand drawn type characters scanned and automated.

This work was part of a multi-channel campaign that accumulated a staggering 10.5 billion impressions, which translated into an earned media value of $30.7 million. The campaign engaged over 104,000 individuals in online discussions which involved a 57% positive sentiment rate, solidifying its imprint as a resonant and positively received body of work. (Sources Netbase & Meltwater - PR Social Listening)