San Fran-based agency Heat, along with EA Sports, had to go about the launch of EA’s new MMA video game very carefully as to not get it confused with THQ’s UFC Undisputed. MMA focuses on the hard knocks global training associated with Mixed Martial Arts, giving nods to Japan for judo, Brazil for jiu-jitsu, Thailand for Muay Thai and America for boxing. According to the Heat camp, intensity and training are seen as key differentiators between EA Sports’ MMA and its THQ rival.
Since UFC President Dana White owns all the big names of the sport along with pretty much everything else that has to do with MMA, the Heat creatives had to improvise and rely on something so simple as a price tag to one-up the competition.
The spot above titled “The Sherdog MMA Fighter Exchange” from Sherdog.com will provide fans with coverage and behind-the-scenes footage as EA Sports pairs up four young up-and-comers with Strikeforce’s Luke Rockhold, Jason “Mayhem” Miller, Gegard Mousasi and Ronaldo “Jacare” Souza, eventually sending all eight to train in Brazil, Japan, and the U.S. On Dec. 4. Sherdog will live-stream the young fighters’ Strikeforce undercard debut. Wieden & Kennedy, Portland, as with other Heat collaborations, handled the media duties.
Credits:
Executive creative director Steve Stone
ACD: Nei Caetano
Copywriter: James Duffy
Art director: Woody Kurupintsiri.
Director: Jason Smith
Prodco: HSI