bare knuckle fighting championship (bkfc)
Inner Circle Card
Brand Framework
Brand Strategy
Creative Direction
Consumer Journey
Product Branding
Video Art Direction
Messaging & Copywriting
the opportunity
Design a financial product that felt like an extension of the BKFC brand rather than another prepaid card. Every touchpoint needed to reinforce exclusivity, reward loyalty, and deepen the connection between fans and the sport.
the strategy
Reimagine the prepaid card as a membership credential. Instead of leading with banking features, the product centered on identity, status, access, and community, giving fans a reason to belong beyond fight night.
the product
Defined the product strategy, developed the brand framework, and designed the customer experience across every touchpoint, including the card, onboarding, launch materials, website, and promotional assets.
the launch
Create an integrated launch campaign spanning the website, waitlist, email nurture, social media, event activations, merchandise, and promotional assets. Art directed the social launch video used to build anticipation and drive waitlist registrations ahead of release.
the impact
Transform a financial product into a scalable membership platform that strengthened fan engagement, increased brand loyalty, and created a foundation for future product growth.
Rather than approaching BKFC Inner Circle as another prepaid card, the strategy focused on creating a membership fans would actually want. The brand framework defined the audience, positioning, messaging, and emotional value that shaped every touchpoint of the experience.
Building the Foundation
More than a card. It's your credential.
The positioning shifted the conversation from financial features to identity, belonging, and exclusive access, giving fans a reason to engage long before and after fight night.
Defining the Positioning
Every interaction was intentionally designed to guide fans from awareness to advocacy through live events, QR activations, waitlists, onboarding, and ongoing engagement.
Designing the Journey
With the strategy in place, the first public introduction needed to generate excitement without revealing too much.
The campaign debuted at BKFC KnuckleMania V, the organization's premier annual event, giving us a unique opportunity to introduce Inner Circle directly to thousands of dedicated fans.
Because the product was still in development, the creative intentionally avoided showing the card itself. Instead, the campaign leaned into mystery and exclusivity, encouraging curiosity and driving fans to scan the QR code to learn more and join the waitlist.
Working against an accelerated timeline, the launch materials were developed specifically for the event, balancing speed with a strategic rollout that built anticipation before the product was fully revealed.
Bringing the Brand to Life
The QR activation directed fans to a dedicated waitlist experience designed to build anticipation, communicate the value of membership, and validate demand ahead of launch.
The first email reinforced that members weren't simply signing up for a card. They were joining something exclusive
One of the earliest member touchpoints was designed to feel personal rather than automated. Instead of a standard welcome email, new waitlist members received an email with a short video message from a BKFC fighter, reinforcing the sense of exclusivity and creating an emotional connection from day one. The concept also encouraged social sharing, helping extend the campaign organically as fans celebrated becoming part of Inner Circle.
The First Impression
Official BKFC watch parties transformed local bars into recruitment opportunities.
Custom QR-enabled coasters were distributed to bars across the country hosting official BKFC watch parties. Built around the positioning "More Than a Card. It's Your Credential.", they encouraged fans to join Inner Circle in the moment, turning shared viewing experiences into measurable acquisition opportunities.
Extending the Experience Beyond the Arena
Creative direction ensured every campaign asset reflected a single strategic vision.
I directed the concept and creative approach for this promo video, defining how the story should be told while partnering with an external agency for production. This collaborative approach ensured the final asset remained consistent with the broader Inner Circle campaign and was ultimately published across BKFC's official social platforms.