BET, Twitter to Promote ‘#ThankYouObama’ Social Media Campaign

BET has teamed with social media company Twitter to launch a social media/digital initiative for tonight’s BET concert special, Love & Happiness – An Obama Celebration.

The social media intiative, #ThankYouObama, will be supported with a series of video vignettes featuring celebrities who were filmed completing the sentence “#ThankYouObama …” in support of President Barack Obama, said BET. The network’s @BET Twitter handle will air the videos thoughout the day, while Twitter will air a selection of the videos via the @TwitterTV and @Gov accounts.

On the linear front, BET will curate the best tweets from the video and feature them in a twitter-branded ticker tape that will be featured on the network throughout the day leading into tonight’s 10 pm airing of the special as part of National #ThankYouObama Day.

The BET Presents Love & Happiness: An Obama Celebration special will feature musical performances from Common and Yolanda Adams, Bel Biv DeVoe, Janelle Monae and Usher. Samel L. Jackson, Angela Basset, Bradley Cooper and Jesse Williams will also appear on the special, which is hosted by Terrence J and Regina Hall.

R. Thomas Umstead

R. Thomas Umstead serves as senior content producer, programming for Multichannel News, Broadcasting + Cable and Next TV. During his more than 30-year career as a print and online journalist, Umstead has written articles on a variety of subjects ranging from TV technology, marketing and sports production to content distribution and development. He has provided expert commentary on television issues and trends for such TV, print, radio and streaming outlets as Fox News, CNBC, the Today show, USA Today, The New York Times and National Public Radio. Umstead has also filmed, produced and edited more than 100 original video interviews, profiles and news reports featuring key cable television executives as well as entertainers and celebrity personalities.