A first of its kind, this partnership marks a new dynamic between agency and athlete, a direct sponsorship with no brand involvement in the middle. Instead, HAYMAKER operates as both brand and agency, pioneering new notions of how creatives can engage with athletes.
A pro boxer out of San Diego, CA, Lazaro will hold his next fight on Saturday, December 16th. To help build the hype, HAYMAKER has developed a new promo film, “Born to Fight.” The short film weaves together footage captured of Lazaro training and his dominance in the ring, paired with narration by Mexican boxing legend Oscar Valdez.
The partnership stems from HAYMAKER’s genuine love of sports; the Emmy-winning agency identified a local up-and-coming athlete, sponsored him, and elevated his notoriety and platform with its creative might.
Now, HAYMAKER operates as a creative engine that supports Lazaro’s boxing journey, and the partnership, which began in 2021, has helped Lazaro draw attention from promoters and the boxing world at large. For example, after HAYMAKER began this sponsorship, renowned boxing trainer and Ring Magazine 2021 Trainer of the Year Eddy Reynoso – whose stable of fighters also includes Canelo Alvarez, a pro who has won multiple world championships in four weight classes – started training and mentoring Lazaro.
“‘Make’ is in our name for a reason; it’s who we are. We want to showcase our creative might for our clients as well as internal projects,” said Jay Kamath, Founder and Chief Creative Officer at HAYMAKER. “Our goal is to show the sports world that we care about the intersection of sports, marketing, and culture so much that we don’t wait for opportunities to contribute, we make our own opportunities.”
“In the sport of boxing, I am a nobody, just a kid from San Diego, CA who travels back and forth to Tijuana, Mexico to train,” said Lazaro Lorenzana, Professional Boxer, 11-0, 8 KOs. “In this sport, there are about 50 thousand active fighters and only a handful make it. Now, I am one of those fighters with a chance due to HAYMAKER joining my team and their creative firepower behind me.”
TEAM CREDITS
AGENCY: HAYMAKER
Jay Kamath Chief Creative Officer, Co-Founder
Eric Trujillo Sr. Art Director
Sophie Taylor Sr. Creative Producer
Alex Benton Brand Director
PRODUCTION:
Sye Williams Director, Cinematography, Photography
Juan Carlos Saizarbitoria Cinematographer
Michael Aguirre Cinematographer
Guero Armando Cinematographer
EDITORIAL: ARCADE EDIT
Matt Laroche Editor
Tom Barnett Producer
Wendy Umanzor Producer
Crissy DeSimone Head of Production
VFX + COLOR: TIMBER
Brian Schneider Lead Flame and Colorist
Adam Englander Flame and Finish
Ryan Dahlman Head of Production
MUSIC AND MIX : BARKING OWL
Jacob Plasse Composer
Brad Beasley Sound Design + Mixer
Beau Manning Assistant Mixer
Hannah Alter Producer
VOICE OVER NARRATION:
Oscar Valdez
WARDROBE:
Javier Zinzun Jr.
STARRING:
Lazaro “El Rey” Lorenzana
