“For us this is no standard brand evolution—it is a brand revolution, in solidarity with the cultural shifts driven by the Black community”—Kimberly Paige, exec VP and chief brand officer, BET
BET recently unveiled a fresh, new look just in time for the BET Awards 2021. BET said that the logo overhaul was a “pivotal shift for our brand and a commemoration of our 40-year legacy of Black excellence.”
Presented annually, the BET Awards are an effort by the Black Entertainment Television(BET) to celebrate and recognize African Americans who perform exceptionally in various fields of entertainment.
The star-studded ceremony is marked by musical performances and awards in popular categories. The ceremony is televised on the BET network.
Kimberly Paige, exec VP and chief brand officer of BET said, “The Black consumer has recently become one of the most coveted audience segments; we are thrilled for brands to begin to see what BET has known all throughout our 40 years history.”
According to Paige, the time was right to “leverage the brand equity” by reimagining how the brand represented “the fullness of the Black experience.” She said, “For us, this is no standard brand evolution—it is a brand revolution, in solidarity with the cultural shifts driven by the Black community.”
Dubbed as “Black Canvas,” the new BET logo features a Black square with “B” and “E” on top and the “T” along with the network’s recognizable star underneath. The new logo symbolizes the stars in the African American community.
The new logo will be seen across the BET network, including TV, digital and streaming platforms. The star sign will change into a plus sign or some other signifier depending on where BET is seen.
According to Paige, the idea behind “Black Canvas” was to position BET as a platform for “Black creative expression.” She added that the platform brings “Black creators, Black talent and the BET audiences” together.
“The square logo lock-up serves as a visual metaphor for this canvas. The epicenter of Black Culture. The square is not rigid, but fluid. Stretching and growing and flexing to showcase all forms of Black expression. This is a design system that is vast, open-ended, and responsive, making room for multiple visual styles and motifs that can grow and evolve with the brand, dialing it up or down, as the moment demands and meeting the audience where they are,” said Paige.
Here is a video of Jazmine Sullivan, Ari Lennox and Maxine Waters performing ‘Tragic’ and ‘On It’ during the BET Awards 2021:
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