BRAND CAMPAIGN - BET 45TH ANNIVERSARY
To help mark the 45th Anniversary of BET, television’s first African-American network, REV collaborated with the BET Media Group to conceive and produce a bold new brand campaign that celebrates the culture in a dynamic and uplifting way.
REV created the campaign under the direction of BET Media Group EVP & Chief Marketing Officer Kimberly Evans Paige and SVP Brand Marketing & Strategy Kimberly Wilson. The :60 launch Anthem Spot, called “We,” was unveiled in the network’s highest-profile premiere slot of 2025, the June 9th live simulcast of the BET Awards, commemorating the 25th edition of Culture’s Biggest Night.
CONCEPT
"We were inspired by the challenge of delivering a fresh, authentic, and multigenerational campaign that would speak to BET's loyal older demo, while engaging younger audiences with their eyes on the future," said Alma Derricks, REV Managing Partner and Campaign Executive Producer. “With a can't-miss premiere looming, the BET and REV teams worked side-by-side to tell a striking visual story driven by an old-school beat that brings the style, joy, and diversity of the culture to life."
Said Gary Holland, Campaign Executive Producer and REV Head of Creative Advertising, “When we first met with BET Marketing, our pitch was to shoot compelling still photographs and video showcasing a wide spectrum of Black life, set against a clean and simple visual palette, with text telling the story onscreen, and music that connected with the culture. The BET group, led by Ms. Paige and Ms. Wilson, loved the concept vision, wanted an anthem spot, and bought the pitch right there in the meeting.”
EXECUTION
Director Tim Nackashi came up with the “flipbook” style of photo sequences created in the promo campaign shoot. Center stage was given to the stunning stills captured by Director of Photography Anthony Brooks.
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The two of them worked extensively with post house Cerebral Lounge and Colorist Rob Brown in achieving a stylized, vibrant, and warm look to the visuals as if they were displayed in a magazine.
Wendell Hanes of Volition Sound composed an original music track that amplified the upbeat feeling with an infectious and soulful vibe.
And Cerebral Lounge Creative Director / Motion Graphics Artist Giles D’Souza did a masterful job leading the charge to devise a version of the “We” Anthem Spot to play across social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.​
RESULTS
Across MTV, VH1, Nickelodeon, CMT, Pop TV, and Logo, millions of viewers saw REV’s :60 Anthem Spot and 30-second version premiere simultaneously on almost every Paramount-owned platform and BET’s social media accounts. The brand campaign launched with the anniversary tag line “BET45: Forty Five and Forward.”
What resulted from the efforts of everyone who touched this project is the launch of a memorable new brand campaign that connects with the roots of the iconic groundbreaking cable network that were planted in 1980. BET continues to reflect the culture to this day, and continues to show how far the culture keeps moving forward after forty-five unforgettable years.
PRESS
