Overview

Hosted by Kevin Hart, the BET Awards celebrated Black culture at the highest level — featuring a special 25th anniversary tribute to 106 & Park and honoring icons including Jamie Foxx, Mariah Carey, Snoop Dogg, and Kirk Franklin.

For this year’s show, the creative vision reimagined the BET Awards as a black-tie cultural experience, elevating the brand’s visual language while honoring its legacy as a defining entertainment institution.

Role & Responsibilities

Role: Art Director

Responsibilities:

• Partnered with Versus to bring a refreshed design system to life for one of culture’s most iconic award shows

• Implemented the design system across static assets, from high-visibility out-of-home placements to large-scale digital campaigns

• Directed environmental and experiential design to ensure cohesion across physical and digital touchpoints

• Collaborated closely with creative leadership to maintain a unified, elevated identity across the full campaign ecosystem

My contributions helped position the BET Awards as both timeless and forward-looking, reinforcing its role as a premier cultural tentpole.

Creative Approach

The refreshed identity leaned into elegance, scale, and intention — translating the energy of the show into a sophisticated, black-tie visual system. The goal was to elevate the brand without losing its cultural authority, creating a look that felt ceremonial, celebratory, and unmistakably BET.

Every design decision supported a cohesive experience, ensuring the system felt consistent whether encountered on the street, on social, or inside the venue itself.

Process & Development

I led a team of designers creating out-of-home and digital assets, maintaining consistency, clarity, and impact across formats. By establishing a strong throughline from the core design system to every execution, we shaped a unified brand presence that extended seamlessly into the broader campaign and experiential environments.

Final Deliverables

- Key Art - Social Assets - Digital Ads - Out-of-Home - Experiential & Environmental Design

reflection

This rebrand elevated the BET Awards as a black-tie cultural moment — modernizing the show’s visual language while honoring its legacy. The result was a cohesive, elevated identity that deepened audience engagement and reinforced the awards as a defining celebration of Black excellence.

Credits

Agency: Versus
VP, Design: Chris Scarlata
Creative Director: Eric Franklin
Project Manager: Jess Hernandez
Motion Design Directors: Jun Lee, Luis Moya
Designers: JJ Raskin, Noelle Mullins
Animators: Gabrielle Garbe, Lily Feng, Victor Lau