BET Boldly Celebrates Black Culture With New Image Campaign to Launch With 25th Anniversary

BET Boldly Celebrates Black Culture With New Image Campaign to Launch With 25th Anniversary

BET.com Also Launches New Design and Content Selections for Web Users

WASHINGTON, Oct. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- "Bold ... Black ... Beautiful ... Confident" are just a few of the touchstone phrases motivating an all-new look and image campaign being unveiled by BET. It's the most extensive graphic and attitudinal makeover ever by the network, and its timing coincides with the premiere of 25 STRONG: THE BET SILVER ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL on Tuesday, November 1 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The campaign launches in massive force with new television advertising on BET and other networks, along with print and on-line creative with leading trade magazines, websites and African-American publications.

"We're doing more than just refreshing the visual look and feel of BET," said Kelli Lawson, BET Executive Vice President for Corporate Marketing. "BET will tap directly into the deepest emotional vein of our viewers, touching those elements that connect with all of their senses. BET's new look is a complete overhaul of our on-air creative, with brand new network identification, show promotion, design, music, typography and color palette. As we celebrate our 25th Anniversary, it's the perfect time to celebrate the richness of Black culture with this new BET look."

The galvanizing anthem "It's My Thing" remains the network's signature tagline, but is now spread across connective tentacles of culture, style, voice, network, choice and the world as seen through the individual and collective eyes of BET viewers. BET's core demographic of African Americans 18-34 remain the primary target of the more motivating and invigorating messages.

Every genre of BET programming will be showcased with fresh new promos, graphics, animations, lineups, lower thirds, squeezes and other on-air components. A series of dynamic 30-second television ads wield a blend of youthful, strong and powerful dance movements, with close-ups and wide shots cascading across a free-form composition of powerful African-style drum rhythms. Versions of the on-air treatment will cover all aspects of BET programming from gospel to hip hop, news to comedy, sports to specials and the very best in Black cinema. Print elements of the campaign boast contemporary color mixes and imagery that captures an edgy uniqueness of the African- American persona.

"After 25 years in the game, BET continues to connect directly to the passions of our audience," said Ola Kudu, BET Vice President of Creative Services and creator of the look of the network's graphic rebirth. "What we've now created is an unapologetic visual presentation of the attitude, strength and energy of today's African-American lifestyle. We've built a world which embraces and celebrates our rich cultural history while reflecting the excitement of our promising future."

BET hired UVPhactory, a New York-based production company, to produce the amazing new network look. UVPhactory executed a multi-camera, hi-definition video shoot, using a combination of green screen and high-contrast backgrounds to capture each scenario.

Simultaneous with the network's redesign is an entirely new look for the BET Interactive division's flagship Internet offering BET.com, the nation's leading on-line portal for African Americans. BET.com attracts millions of unique visitors monthly, and now showcases expanded access points and menu additions across a range of new subject areas.

"The Internet's place of importance for African Americans is expanding to a level where the quality and scope of content must be accelerated," said Michael Pickrum, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of BET Interactive. "BET.com has crafted a reputation for content that feeds the intellect and ignites the imagination of all users. We're using that success as the catalyst for providing an even more insightful on-line platform."

The redesigned home page heavily emphasizes multimedia and broadband offerings, as well as the site's award-winning content. Users can quickly get to the hottest music on BET.com, including music videos, exclusive interviews of top artists and stars, and extra footage from popular BET shows. News has a specially designated position at the top of the page so BET.com users can get the latest updates and special reports from BET News, including a new, insightful blog covering Capitol Hill politics by BET Senior Political Producer Pamela Gentry. In addition, BET.com has rolled out a redesigned "For Men" channel along with improved message boards. More design and content upgrades are planned for later in the year.

ABOUT BET

BET, a subsidiary of Viacom, Inc. (NYSE: VIA; VIA.B), is the nation's leading television network providing quality entertainment, music, news and public affairs programming for the African-American audience. The BET Network reaches more than 80 million households according to Nielsen media research, and can be seen in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. BET is a dominant consumer brand in the urban marketplace with a diverse group of branded businesses: BET.com, the Number 1 Internet portal for African Americans; BET Digital Networks - BET Jazz, BET Gospel and BET Hip Hop, attractive alternatives for cutting-edge entertainment tastes; and BET Event Productions, specializing in a full range of event production services, including event management, venue selection, talent recruitment, sound, lighting and stage production.

Source: BET (Black Entertainment Television)

CONTACT: Michael Lewellen of BET, +1-202-608-2003,
michael.lewellen@bet.net

Web site: http://www.bet.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: Downloadable photography of BET's new image campaign and a video file for viewing are available at www.bet.com/pr

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