overview

Wrapped in Black is BET’s first holiday campaign, created to build community and celebrate culture. It combines storytelling, partnerships, and community initiatives to strengthen audience connection and brand presence. The campaign reframes the holidays as a celebration of Black culture, legacy, and influence across food, fashion, art, and music. It also highlights the economic impact of the Black dollar during the season.

role & responsibilities

Role: Art Director

Responsibilities:

• Designed the static visual system, including branding, color, typography, and overall look and feel

• Set visual direction for motion and partnered with designers to extend the system across on-air and OOH

• Built toolkits to ensure a cohesive, scalable brand across touchpoints

Creative Approach

The visual language draws from BET’s core brand system. Rich tones from the Federal palette are paired with the brand’s panel system and graphic patterns. These elements were adapted into a holiday framework that feels festive but still distinctly BET. The result is a system that is modern, vibrant, and culturally grounded.

activations

The campaign extended beyond traditional marketing into experiential and community-driven activations:

• Holiday Eats Video Series
  Inspired by BET+ holiday films (A Wesley South Africa Christmas, Style Me for Christmas, A Christmas Miracle), the series featured Chef Daron creating fun, approachable holiday meals designed to bring warmth and connection to the table.

• Hip-Hop Holiday Pop-Up
  A one-of-a-kind activation staged beneath the iconic Apollo marquee, featuring a live performance by Jacquees alongside holiday carolers — blending classic holiday traditions with contemporary R&B energy. Neighborhood Elves distributed treats from brand partners, including Cloudy Donuts.

• Fan Engagement Moments
  Festive trivia and interactive moments encouraged participation while generating social-first content designed to extend the life of the campaign across platforms.

Credits

Animator: Jun Lee
Art Director: Rebecca Wheatman
Production Designer: Alysson Castro