We used the power of music to break the mold of traditional sports advertising by bypassing the traditional commercial route in favor of something more impactful for a massive cultural crossover. Just as Rocky had Eye of the Tiger, we crafted a modern underdog anthem that told the story of Francis Ngannou and transcended the content itself. In doing this, we demonstrated how music entertainment can be a powerful tool across all media.

Saudi Arabia has quickly become a major global sports hub. Events like these are new to Saudi Arabia, and we used this promotion to help cement them into the global conversation by infusing Saudi cultural iconography into a worldwide campaign. Thus demonstrating that Saudi Arabia can play with the rest of the world when it comes to sports, elevating them to the level of western sports entertainment. It’s a reflection of the modern Saudi Arabia.

When Saudi Arabia was presented with the opportunity to host this one of a kind fight, they wanted all eyes on them to showcase how they are a hub for global cultural entertainment. The fight was more than a sporting event. Its promotion doubled as promotion for this year’s Riyadh Season - a massive sports and entertainment festival. They needed this to be a cultural moment that drew the attention of the world. They needed us to create a spectacle. Our objective was to communicate to the world that this was a major, one-of-a-kind boxing match, and that Saudi Arabia is where an event of this magnitude is hosted.

We knew that we would have the attention of boxing fans, but we needed to attract a much larger audience across the globe. That’s why we employed the help of superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo, FloDan, Lil Baby, and Skrillex and shot our piece in multiple international locations. Along with a marketing strategy where influencers used the song to promote themselves, we were able to garner communities from every corner of the globe and snag their attention for what became a major cultural event.

Our approach was to create a modern, original underdog anthem for boxing newbie Francis Ngannou as he was preparing to fight the champ. We focused on his personal story for an emotional resonance that matched that of Rocky’s Eye of the Tiger. We brought in musical heavy hitters from across the world - British rapper FloDan, American rapper Lil Baby, and international EDM DJ Skrillex for this epic composition. Everyone loves an underdog story, and boxing culture is rooted in them. Can they defy the odds and take home the belt? We wanted to leverage that human connection for a more impactful campaign that transcended borders.

We brought these music icons together to craft a track, shot an epic music video starring Francis Ngannou alongside Christiano Ronaldo and then placed it in the universal digital marketplace of social media. Our shoot spanned five days across four locations - London, LA, NY, and Saudi Arabia and encompassed practical locations, studio filming and CG world building. In conjunction with the rollout, we implemented an influencer campaign that permeated awareness of the track. Ronaldo, currently playing in the Saudi Arabia football league, teased the song before its release and when it was released, we got Tyson Fury, Ngannou’s undefeated opponent, to drop a reaction video to increase the fight conversation. Skrillex and Turkey Alalsheikh also posted about it. The conversation made its way to broadcast where it was picked up as a major PR story.

The fight became the most talked about sporting event of the weekend, outperforming the World Series, NFL Football, and NBA tip off. “Pepper” was the #1 dance track on Spotify and garnered over 110 million views and over 800 million impressions. It was performed at the opening ceremony for the fight and Riyadh Season, a massive global spectacle with A List talent in attendance organized by the same people behind the Academy Awards and the Superbowl Halftime Show. The fight was the most viewed boxing event of 2023, successfully bringing awareness to viewers across the world who wouldn’t have tuned in if not for its far reaching cultural relevance.