As part of the one-year anniversary celebration of All Elite Wrestling, the company has teamed with Canadian music video director Julien Christian Lutz (also known as Director X) for a vignette that acts as a mission statement for the company. After starting out with a striking image of Nyla Rose smashing in a car windshield with a sledgehammer, the video continues with short shots of prominent AEW talent like ‘Hangman’ Adam Page, Dr. Britt Baker, and Private Party outside the ring.
The talent all echoes the sentiment that AEW gave them a home when no one else would, and that the company is revolutionizing the pro wrestling industry. In this author’s opinion, it feels like a video Paul Heyman would have come up with for his ECW back in the 90s if he had a budget.
Director X said that he related to the wrestling company and its philosophy, which made the partnership a great fit:
“I know what it’s like to be doubted, being told ‘you can’t do this,’ but AEW is proof that by believing in yourself and not listening to what the world is saying you can and will do it. This isn’t B.S. It’s real.”
This vignette will be the first of several collaborations between the two parties in what is being called the “Boundless” ad campaign. One expects more details about the ads could be revealed on tonight’s episode of Dynamite.
Check out the full press release issued to WrestleZone below:
LOS ANGELES – November 18, 2020 – Today, TNT announced a new ad campaign to promote its popular All Elite Wrestling program, “AEW Dynamite,” which is currently the number one wrestling show on Wednesday nights. The new ad is part of AEW’s “Boundless” campaign and was created and directed by Director X (Julien Christian Lutz), who is an award-winning music video and movie director best known for his visually distinctive videos for popular artists including Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Rihanna, Jay-Z, Kanye West, Usher, John Mayer and many more. Director X’s accolades include winning Video Director of the Year at the 2016 BET Awards, Best Hip Hop Video at the 2020 BET Hip Hop Awards and Best Video at the 2020 MTV European Music Awards.
Celebrating the world-class roster of diverse male and female wrestlers, “Boundless” tells the underdog story of the stars of AEW, who, with a true passion for the sport, bet on themselves and created a new kind of wrestling league, drawing millions of fans to their dynamic, action-packed TNT “AEW Dynamite” weekly events.
“Director X is the perfect partner to showcase the AEW brand with his distinct visual style that uniquely speaks to a new generation,” said Melissa Chambless, EVP of Marketing, TNT, TBS and truTV. “His ability to bring these wrestlers’ incredible stories to life in such an authentic way thoroughly manifests our Boundless campaign.”
“Like me, I think a lot of people will relate to the stories shared in this video,” said Director X. “I know what it’s like to be doubted, being told ‘you can’t do this,’ but AEW is proof that by believing in yourself and not listening to what the world is saying you can and will do it. This isn’t B.S. It’s real.”
Wednesday’s #1 wrestling show, “AEW Dynamite” exploded onto the wrestling scene when it premiered on TNT in 2019. Featuring fast-paced, high-impact competitions with real sports analytics, the critically acclaimed series has continued to deliver high-performing episodes each week, reaching more than 59 million people across TNT’s linear and digital platforms. The show also delivers the youngest wrestling audience on television.
AEW’s success story resonated with Director X as his own company, Fela, celebrates inclusion and diversity. Fela was founded on the mandate to “tell cultural stories authentically while being the voice for the underrepresented.” Fela’s mantra “Own Your Culture, Tell Your Stories” is what AEW is all about.
