World Fighting League - Final 16

Client - Spike
Art Director
Concept

You're not born a legend. You become one.

The Final16, a legendary within the kickboxing world, is returning to the Netherlands with a LIVE broadcasting on the TV channel SPIKE. We were asked to create a 360 campaign that generates awareness of this event with as a highlight, the superfight between all time legends Remy Bonjasky and Melvin Manhoef.


At SPIKE we felt the urge not only to bring back the Final16, but show our audience that kickboxing is a respected sport of high quality athletes as well as lift the kickboxing world standards to a higher level through daring design.


Concept

We wanted to let the audience feel and experience how to become a (kickboxing) legend. Not a King Arthur kind of legend, but a real living legend. The devotion it takes and the sacrifices you have to make. On the one hand the necessary skills (stamina, speed, confidence etc.) and on the other the values they represent. How do they follow their calling, do what they do best and keep repeating this. Eventually you can only become a true legend if you serve a higher cause.


If you give back to the community and pass on your knowlegde to a new generation. Both Melvin Manhoef as Remy Bonjasky own their own gym where they teach a large group of new talents. And maybe, these talents grow up to become legends on their own. This will result in the match of the year. Master vs Master. Legend vs Legend. Melvin vs Remy.


Print

To increase the impact of the print ads, we decided to not use the faces of Melvin and Remy together in one key-art. To turn heads, we step away from the traditional stare off visual. Instead, we solo our legends on two versions. By soloing the athletes on their own key-art, we can really focus on the legend they are by using an intense and powerfull frontal photograph. Going for the black and white photography focusses the audience on the emotions and story behind the faces of our legends.


The key-art for our superfight with our two already legends displays the tagline You’re Not Born A Legend in big bold letters, with in smaller writing stated below You Become One. We highlight the first part on the assets of Remy and Melvin since they already are legends.


All assets for the Final16 athletes, our upcoming legends, will see the typography treatment reversed. In small writing it says You’re Not Born A Legend. Underneath in big bold letters it states You Become One. These fighters are our soon to be legends.

Show Graphics

For the main event we designed an entire set of fighting cards, countdown clocks, tournament cards etc. They were created as templates for each tournament as well. In the design we still highlight our red and the blue corner fiercely, for example announce a fighter's entrance to the ring. For the leader of the show we visualised the lines of the boxing ring, showing off the talents of our main fight Remy and Melvin, in each of their respectable corners.

Creative Team

Judith Peters - VP Marketing & Products
Anouk Janssen - Project Manager
Arjen Noordeman - Creative Director
Jorge Fröberg - Art Director, Concept
Matthijs Hoitsma - Promo Producer, Concept
Camie Roos - Graphic Designer, Concept
Eyeforce - Sound Design, TVC
Rein Blank - 3D Artist
Csaba Molnar - 3D Artist