Jon Jones Commercial: What the Jones Commercial Reveals About the Future of MMA
The recent commercial featuring UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones reveals the very future of the UFC and MMAโthat the promotion and sport are primed to to conquer American society.
Absurd? Nigh unbelievable?
Think again.
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The commercial is brilliant for two reasons:
First, it features a man who will be champion of his division and face (both in the real and professional wrestling definitions of the word) of the company for quite some time, Jon Jones.
Jones is a clean-cut, religious individual who will help MMA and the UFC shed their much-maligned "bloodsport"/"human cockfighting" image by showing people that all MMA fighters (or "UFC fighters" as the commercial put it and many Americans will subsequently put it) don't all act and look like Tank Abbott.
Second, and more importantly, it's marketed towards families rather than the traditional males ages 18-34.
Instead of over-the-top theatrics and highlights of arm-bars, head-kicks, and slams, the commercial has swings, a playground and middle-aged women (who in the commercial's world are maligning their choice in husbands once they see the spectacle that is Jones, so tune in to the UFC on FOX, ladies).ย There's even a child in the commercial, could anyone have imagined a UFC commercial with a child in 2001?
The fact that the commercial is family-friendly and, in fact, family-oriented is inherently brilliant.
If the UFC continues such efforts, then their fandom will finally surpass the 18-34 male demographic and will eventually encompass the majority of American society.
Kids will begin watching and their parents will watch (and spend money on UFC merchandise) by extension. Then those kids will grow up, have children of their own and raise those kids on the UFC and MMA.
In time (a generation or two), entire households will be captivated by UFC programmingfrom eight-year-olds to octogenarians. The UFC will be a household name, and one that is known and respected by all, and it was all kicked off by one little commercial.
