Snapshot of the Day: UFC vs. Mainstream Sports Ad Campaign

This is.. well… lame.

by szucconi on Nov 19, 2008 12:12 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

it seems to be missing something?

by mythbuster on Nov 19, 2008 12:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Just me I guess..

I don’t see anything (literally), but I guess it’s my computer being nuts again.

by mythbuster on Nov 19, 2008 1:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Gotta agree.

http://eliotmarshall.com/

by BJJDenver on Nov 19, 2008 2:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Not really sure what pro fighters beating non-fighters proves?

UFC pwns Argentina and loses the Argentinian fan base.

by bigweeze on Nov 19, 2008 3:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

This really misses the boat.

by Michaelthebox on Nov 19, 2008 12:46 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I get it and I like it.

"My job is a decision-making job, and as a result, I make a lot of decisions." --George W. Bush, The Decider, Lancaster, Pa., Oct. 3, 2007

by lovingmma25 on Nov 19, 2008 12:55 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I like them. Though I wish he did a hockey one too to incite rage from my other Canadian co-workers.

by pr0cs on Nov 19, 2008 12:58 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I’m trying to figure out who this is supposed to sell the UFC to.

by D.Capitated on Nov 19, 2008 1:01 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

To the people that say it’s “barbaric” or “too violent”

by Phildo on Nov 19, 2008 1:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

People who say ‘this is for people who suck at other sports’

by subo on Nov 19, 2008 6:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I also find it interesting that the UFC’s first mainstream ad campaign doesn’t feature one UFC fighter. I understand why but it will come off as strange to the market they are trying to reach.

by Day Man on Nov 19, 2008 1:06 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I hate this idea.

Don’t go trashing the other sports I love cause that gives me a negative impression not a positive one.

Just create ads telling me what is exciting about the UFC and why I should watch it.

There is no need to piss all these other sports off. I mean what happens if they all then decide to use their considerable power and wealth to run negative ad campaigns against the UFC.

This doesn’t make sense to me.

There is enough positive things happening with the UFC that they can use to promote their product rather than going negative against anything or anyone else.

by mattman73 on Nov 19, 2008 1:12 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Well, I think the ad campaign sucks but I completely understand why they are doing it. MMA is still looked at as overly violent and barbaric sport. Showcasing that serious injuries happen more often in other sports compared to MMA is good way of educating some of the old codgers out there who have all the pull when it comes to legalization and advertising revenue.

I think it’s a good premise but it’s executed poorly.

by Pete Smart on Nov 19, 2008 1:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I don’t even think that’s the premise. They are saying “We sacked football” like they have overtaken football in popularity. Which is dumb. They make no point about how the NFL is violent or that the UFC is safe.

by szucconi on Nov 19, 2008 1:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

“Showcasing that serious injuries happen more often in other sports compared to MMA is good way of educating some of the old codgers out there who have all the pull when it comes to legalization and advertising revenue.”

I don’t think the ad intends to convey that at all.

Its pretty simple: UFC and Football got into a fight, Football got its ass kicked.

Its a junk advertisement. It conveys basically nothing of what attracts people to the sport.

by Michaelthebox on Nov 19, 2008 1:23 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Agree, you put it better then I did.

by szucconi on Nov 19, 2008 1:25 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Exactly. “We Sacked Football” isn’t exactly much of an educational message about, say, post concussion syndrome or joint injuries.

by D.Capitated on Nov 19, 2008 2:31 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree with your assessment totally, Michael.

I also think it’s pretty dumb to showcase just the striking part of MMA. This is the “human cockfighting” part of the sport that non-fans think they already know about. This ad campaign doesn’t address the ground/submission piece of the game that I’ve seen draw people in after they see it. MMA isn’t just two idiots beating the crap out of one another, it’s a “human chess match” (Rich Franklin). That’s how modern day UFC is different than the 1993 UFC, and this ad campaign doesn’t do a thing to push that.

by mmac on Nov 19, 2008 2:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

They should have put a football player trying to tackle Thiago Alves carrying a football and Thiago tossing him around like a ragdoll.

by bigweeze on Nov 19, 2008 3:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

…or they could show Thiago getting knocked unconscious when a 225 pound strong safety, that runs a 4.4 sec. 40, tees off on him. I don’t see the point in the UFC trying to compare its sport with other sports in this manner. They’re all different and have their own merits.

by Cannon Jacques on Nov 19, 2008 3:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

True, it’s hard to sprawl safely when the safety leads with his helmet.

Plus it shows limited knowledge as the rules don’t allow you to sack a linebacker (#54).

I think taking away the picture and putting a big UFC logo in its place would be better than this ad campaign. It makes the UFC look stupid and will make the rabid fans of those sports despise MMA.

One of 32 NFL teams is worth about $1 billion on its own, while the UFC is arguably worth $1 billion. Advantage, NFL.

by bigweeze on Nov 19, 2008 4:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree.

Maybe I’m wrong. But the more I think about this campaign, the more I think it sucks.

by Cannon Jacques on Nov 19, 2008 4:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

To Be Devil's Advocate

“Just create ads telling me what is exciting about the UFC and why I should watch it.”

They have been doing this for forever. How many times have you heard Dana White say how great this sport is to news reporters etc. However, I agree they dont’ need to attack other sports negatively. But, one angle to look at is with these ads it would make someone that doesn’t know exactly what MMA is…to be curious about it.

http://mma4real.net/

by Tha Realness on Nov 19, 2008 1:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

So lame.

by Chris Nelson on Nov 19, 2008 1:15 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

November 17th ESPN the Mag

I don’t know if anyone has seen this but in the back of the mag there is an ad for Lugz with Lyoto Machida & Houston Alexander. It’s pretty cool to see fighters getting in on some mainstream marketing but Machida looks so out of place with only jeans and one of their awful pairs of sneakers on.

by Pete Smart on Nov 19, 2008 1:15 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Yeah I saw that

How Machida landed that is mind-bottling. You know, when things are so crazy it gets your thoughts all trapped, like in a bottle.

by xFenixKnightx on Nov 19, 2008 1:19 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

They should focus on the thing I love about MMA, it’s year round. They don’t have a break. There is always something going on. And its not the daily grind of an MLB or the short whirlwind of the NFL. There is a superbowl of action every month.

by szucconi on Nov 19, 2008 1:18 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Someone hire this man!!!

by xFenixKnightx on Nov 19, 2008 1:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I need a second job too. I could work for them. call me. I already offered my services to WAMMA and they rejected me.

by szucconi on Nov 19, 2008 1:23 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

UFC vs. Football

I just felt like I had to go there.

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett

by themachiavellian on Nov 19, 2008 1:32 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

Nice!

"My job is a decision-making job, and as a result, I make a lot of decisions." --George W. Bush, The Decider, Lancaster, Pa., Oct. 3, 2007

by lovingmma25 on Nov 19, 2008 1:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Ack! I meant MMA vs. Football! Noob mistake!

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better. -Samuel Beckett

by themachiavellian on Nov 19, 2008 1:48 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

What is mma? Is that similar to ultimate fighting?

http://eliotmarshall.com/

by BJJDenver on Nov 19, 2008 2:54 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

JOHNNNNNNY!…NOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo

by Day Man on Nov 19, 2008 1:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Things he is good at: Getting KTFO.
Things he is not so good at: Football, MMA, peeing in a cup.

by szucconi on Nov 19, 2008 1:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Any word if he has regained consciousness yet??

http://eliotmarshall.com/

by BJJDenver on Nov 19, 2008 2:55 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

LMFAO! :)

by VikingPhotography on Nov 19, 2008 3:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I feared that I might be the only one who thought this push was mildly retarded. It’s not like it’s the worst idea, but they certainly could have done something much better.

by Cannon Jacques on Nov 19, 2008 1:37 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Yeah…this ad campaign sucks more ass than a vacuum cleaner pointed at the rear end of a sumo wrestler.

by Tonley on Nov 19, 2008 2:33 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I agree

that its probably not the best idea to go after other sports. I know that the UFC probably wants to prove a point, but it might also alienate some fans.

Also, it feels like a bad add just because its hard to put your finger on what the product is that you are supposed to be getting out of it.

by Razreshat on Nov 19, 2008 3:27 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I want to see an ad with Lebron posterizing Jason Lambert.

by bigweeze on Nov 19, 2008 3:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Something fishy

Speaking as a photographer, a few things strike me as odd about this

1. You might shoot the images, but you almost never get a say in their final use i.e. how the ad will look
2. Publishing “tear sheets” before an ad campaign goes live can be suicide for your business
3. The publicity company the photographer references is in France
4. Said publicity company has no base of operations in the USA – only partner agencies, NONE of which are in Vegas
5.Knowing Dana and the UFC’s PR folks, I just don’t see them taking this direction at all

I’ll be first in line to eat crow if this is proven to be a genuine ad campaign sanctioned by the UFC… I just don’t see them going along with this.

by VikingPhotography on Nov 19, 2008 4:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Is it just me or are the shots down. I don’t see them anymore. Maybe you are right.

by szucconi on Nov 19, 2008 4:37 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Me either…especially when Dana has openly said that the NFL Football is the biggest sport in America.

http://mma4real.net/

by Tha Realness on Nov 19, 2008 4:22 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I’m pleased to know I’m not the only one who thinks this ad campaign sucks. The UFC should focus on it’s own sport, not try and trash other ones.

"I'm a man who discovered the wheel and built the Eiffel Tower out of metal and brawn. That's what kind of man I am." - Ron Burgundy

by monkeyfightclub! on Nov 19, 2008 5:21 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I don't think it's that bad

I think its ultimate goal is to get someone to talk by, identify the sport that athlete plays (football, baseball, etc), have that moment of realization, and then go ‘what the fuck happened to him?’ Then, they see the UFC logo.

If they already hated UFC, this will make them hate it more. However this ad campaign isn’t aimed at those who hate MMA – they’re long gone, folks – but instead at those who have yet to form an opinion of the sport. Football fans aren’t going to be turned off by violence, and baseball fans are used to watching sub-200 lb athletes dominate.

I like it.

by subo on Nov 19, 2008 6:26 PM EST reply actions 0 recs