Fury-Ngannou fight gets a truly earth-shattering promo from Accenture Song and Droga5

The heavyweight boxing match between Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Oct. 28, should be an explosive affair. And it’s getting advertising to match, with Accenture Song and Droga5 crafting an extraordinary 90-second spot that’s already being hailed as one of the best boxing promos in history.

The spot, titled “Rumble,” features Fury and Ngannou feeling the pressure of the impending showdown, as each man’s training sends taunting shockwaves to his opponent from afar in a series of ever-escalating, fantastical assaults.

Director Seb Edwards, himself a former competitive kickboxer and fight fan, imbues the violence with cinematic style. But the film is also tinged with levity, which adds to its appeal. There’s a certain humor to the one-upmanship, at least until the end, when the psychological metaphors give way to intense hand-to-hand combat.

The soundtrack—Betty Chung’s 1968 cover of Nancy Sinatra’s “Bang Bang”—also adds to the richness of the vibe. The song ties in lyrically, but is also cool and aloof, lending further juxtaposition with the imagery.

“The hype and the drama and the spectacle of this fight needed a promo that did it justice,” said Jason Kreher, chief creative officer North America at Accenture Song. “Every decision we made was in service of making this insane spot look beautiful. As always, Jack Handey said it best: ‘To me, boxing is like a ballet, except there’s no music, no choreography, and the dancers hit each other.’”

“I’ve been a lifelong boxing fan, and fight promos have always been mind-numbingly generic,” said Edwards. “I wanted this film to be an exception. They are both incredible people, and I wanted to capture their unique personalities and fighting styles in a way that was entertaining and operatic. These types of projects are becoming rare now, so big thanks to the brilliant Song crew for making it happen.”

Accenture Song and Droga5 (an Accenture agency) have been promoting this fight for some time. In early September, at the announcement ceremony for the fight, the agencies unveiled portraits of the two fighters dressed as kings—outfitted by costume designer Sandy Powell (a three-time Oscar winner) and shot by British fashion photographer Nick Knight.

“This is very much uncharted territory for both of the fighters, and we took that as jumping off point for the creative,” said Tres Colacion, executive creative director at Droga5. “Nick is a photographer who seeks out the ‘never seen before,’ he’s never shot sport, and that made everyone very excited.” 

A version of the film posted to X (formerly Twitter) by Turki Al-Sheikh, minister of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, has been viewed more than 160 million times. Al-Sheikh has also been posting other Accenture Song and Droga5 work for the fight, including Las Vegas Sphere creative below.

💪🏻🥊❤️🔥👍 pic.twitter.com/DmzF1sLWU4

— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) October 3, 2023

Fury, who hails from Britain, has held the World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight title since 2020. Ngannou, of Cameroon, is a former UFC champion making his professional boxing debut. The fight will be a pay-per-view event in the U.S.