(Props: MMA Fanhouse)
Here we are, three weeks away from the big Fedor Emelianenko-Brett Rogers Strikeforce fight in Chicago, and CBS is starting to put some of its promotional muscle behind the event. But here’s the problem: how do you hype a guy who most Americans have never heard of when he doesn’t speak much English and you don’t own any of his fight footage? You basically have two choices: you can show him working out while flashing various quotes about how great he is, or you can film a commercial where he fights an entire pride of lions in the big cement pit behind Vadim Finkelchtein’s house. For reasons that I’ll never quite understand, CBS has decided to go with the first option. Whatever. They’re the ones who’ll have to live with that regret.
All things considered, CBS is making the best of a tough situation, but here’s my question: if you don’t already know who Fedor is and why he matters, will you know enough about who Jay Glazer, Stephen Quadros, and Randy Couture are for their quotes to mean anything?
It’s like when you see an ad for a movie that includes decontextualized praise from some website or (possibly fake) news outlet that you’ve never heard of. It does nothing to make you go see that movie unless you’re the kind of sad-sack who sees absolutely everything anyway. And if you are that kind of person you probably won’t stay home to watch "Saturday Night Fights" just to see some chubby guy hit a tire with a sledgehammer. At least not with "Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant" opening soon.
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Comments
Thu, 10/15/09 - 03:23
First, you whores!!
Thu, 10/15/09 - 03:29
Until Feydor fights in the UFC he is a NOBODY and a scared loser
Thu, 10/15/09 - 03:40
I lol'd
Thu, 10/15/09 - 03:47
Are they going to have Brett Rogers commercials and quotes to build up the fight as well? "Rogers: The guy with the potentially underestimated ground game" "Rogers: He beat the guy with the glass jaw faster than Fedor did!" "Brett Rogers: You may not have heard his name before but if Kimbo had responded to his taunts there is a chance you would have" Brett Rogers: "He has a mowhawk. And. You. Don't!"
Thu, 10/15/09 - 03:48
A bit cheesy, but not a bad promo overall. When it comes to sports, the mainstream media normally saves all its praise for black athletes. And yeah, a majority of American sports fans are still unfamiliar with Fedor, his backers, and the whole MMA scene itself.
Thu, 10/15/09 - 04:05
They should have gone for the enigmatic route -- that is, some silent footage of Fedor eating ice cream, followed by the text, "Scared yet? Find out why this man is considered to be the deadliest man on Earth."
Thu, 10/15/09 - 04:09
Love the glamour shot @ 0:54
Thu, 10/15/09 - 04:09
I think we've seen this before. They promote an entire night of fights on one person. If Brett Rogers wins Fedor CBS will lose footing with the public and the UFC will take the story and run with it. As of lately I wouldn't doubt Rogers beats Fedor considering the last 2 of Fedor's opponents were proven cans after their fight.
Thu, 10/15/09 - 04:20
^ Word. Nobody in America (or Russia, funny enough) knows who Fedor is. They should put more emphasis on Rogers since most people grew up idolizing black guys with mohawks on tv.
Thu, 10/15/09 - 04:32
that was awesome cool training clips, the problem with the movie analogy is fedor actually IS the baddest man on the planet compared to those movies which actually suck. and anyone who knows jack shit about MMA knows who fedor is so all they gotta do is ask somebody.
Thu, 10/15/09 - 04:39
@superflat that's actually a pretty great idea for a promo. pity you don't work for CBS.
Thu, 10/15/09 - 04:42
Clubber Lang will take money to absolutely not even try to win. Someone, somewhere, had to have learned from the EliteXC debacle.
Thu, 10/15/09 - 04:56
"he comes in every day and orders two ice cream cones by himself, then he doesn't even go sit at a park bench to eat them, he just turns around eats 'em right there, giggling the whole time" - ice cream parlor guy
Thu, 10/15/09 - 05:27
Ya know what? Considering they din't have any footage to cull, they did a pretty good job. I chubbed up by the end of the promo. Ya know, when Fedor smiled at the camera...ooooh...tingles! I can't wait to see this fight. If EPIC had a date, it would be November 7th. Now do something even cooler for JAKE SHIELDS and MAYHEM!
Thu, 10/15/09 - 05:48
"In mother Russia, Fedor doesn't get hepatitis, hepatitis gets... Aleksander!"
Thu, 10/15/09 - 06:24
"The only thing he fears are scary roller coasters...that's it."
Thu, 10/15/09 - 07:10
Hey sweedish, its pronounced Feydor but thats not how you spell it douchebag. You're not impressing anyone.
Thu, 10/15/09 - 07:24
Fedor makes 'em melt in their shorts. Like ice cream cones.
Thu, 10/15/09 - 08:00
Didn't Affliction co-promote with M-1 global ? Technically M-1 should co-own some of his fight footage in affliction, No? I think we might still see some CBS promo ads with Arlovski and sylvia fight
Thu, 10/15/09 - 10:52
OK, they could always go the Chuck Norris route! Something like "Fedor doesn't shave, he just kicks himself in the face!"
Fri, 10/16/09 - 09:44
Am I the only person here who believe Brett will drop Fedor like panties at a Bon Jovi concert?
Fri, 10/16/09 - 10:43
Nah, I also have that feeling. ^ ^ ^
Fri, 10/16/09 - 11:02
OVERRATED. END OF STORY.
Fri, 10/16/09 - 12:13
Lol. Overrated. Yeah. Wait for the fight and watch Rogers get KTFO'd. The "Fedor is overrated"-crew should be grateful he went to Strikeforce or you would soon run out of bash.
Fri, 10/16/09 - 01:36
Totally overrated. Nice one harps.
Fri, 10/16/09 - 05:37
fedor will drop him in the first round. it's gonna be a slugfest.
Sat, 10/17/09 - 10:12
Too bad they couldn't use his actual fight footage instead. Seeing is believing, they say.
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