Celebrating its 40th anniversary, the Black Entertainment Television (BET) targeting African American audience has rolled out its new visual identity that marks a new stage in the history of the channel. The new BET branding, including a logo, was presented at the 2021 BET Awards ceremony. According to the network, it is a key move for its image, paying tribute to its 40-year journey and heritage of the Black excellence.
Through the years, the BET abbreviation and a star have been customary elements of the channel’s logos designed primarily in a black-and-white gamma. While the previous emblem represented a straight wordmark, complemented by a star, all-black, the new iteration’s “BET” and star, in white, are placed into a black square.
The black lines as the apertures of the “B” and “E”, and a thin separation in the “T”, are peculiar features as well. BET’s digital platform, streaming service or experiential arms will receive logos where the star will be replaced with a plus sign or other symbols.
As the network’s vice president Kimberly Paige said, the rebranding was preceded by a research which showed that the “BET” and star are recognizable in any position. Rearranging the iconic letters, BET wanted to “leverage the brand equity” the channel has earned. The logo’s square form embodies the idea of the “Black Canvas” representing BET as a place that brings together Black creators and Black talents.
