How Revolt is using AI in its Black History Month campaign

Revolt’s Black History Month campaign is using artificial intelligence to reimagine Black history. The Black-owned media company commissioned 11 AI artists to depict alternate histories and utopian futures for Black Americans. The “Imagine If?” series is meant to be a provocative contrast to the typical quotes and images shared by brands to celebrate Black history, Revolt CEO Detavio Samuels told Ad Age. View this post on Instagram A post shared by REVOLT (@revolttv) The campaign is Revolt’s response to the lack of Black representation in mainstream media. It will live on Revolt’s Instagram, which has two million followers as of writing. Samuels said the media company plans to post about 60 of the AI art pieces, each of which is accompanied by a prompt for viewers to “imagine if.” “What we’re hoping to see through all of this is to spark conversation to help Black people recondition their mind—what happens when you get to see yourself in positions of power, instead of always being at the bottom of the food chain,” said Samuels. View this post on Instagram A post shared by REVOLT (@revolttv) A recent example shows static and moving images of Jesus Christ, set to “Jesus Walks” by Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West. The post begins, “Imagine if you were taught that a Black man saved your soul. Imagine if, despite their best efforts, Bible-thumping racists were unable to circumvent historical facts to convince the world that Jesus was a white man with loose curls.” Also read: Celebrating Black creative excellence The use of AI in the campaign is also intentional. From one perspective, it allows Revolt the ability to create grand-scale visuals like those of top movie studios and streamers for far less money. But it also allows Revolt to begin transforming its image as a media company. Samuels said most consumers think of Revolt as just a cable programmer; instead, he wants Revolt to be seen as a company creating content with emerging tech that is redefining the nature of creation. That’s part of the reason Revolt is prioritizing social media for this campaign as well. Samuels said he thinks of the “Imagine If?” project as a content series in the same vein as a hit show rather than a social marketing campaign. By tapping into an in-conversation art form like AI creation on social media, the series’ message can also spread further than if it lived elsewhere. And as such, it can also challenge the perspectives not just of Revolt’s audience, but of those that aren’t accustomed to seeing Black people depicted in power and as innovators. Other post ideas presented in a campaign deck reviewed by Ad Age include Martin Luther King Jr. meeting Barack Obama; Tulsa’s Black Wall Street had it never been burned; and the first Black female president. The culmination of the Black History Month campaign will be a reimagining of Apple’s iconic “1984” Super Bowl ad. The campaign is centered around Black creators not receiving equitable opportunities in mainstream media. Samuels pointed to how shows such as HBO’s “Rap Sh!t” have been canceled, which he said is “a cyclical pattern” in recent history, most recently after the murder of George Floyd. In the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests in early 2020, “you see Black communities and Black people begin to get exposure and get opportunities that they’ve never had before,” said Samuels. “Then very quickly, you see how people get fatigued from that and that starts to shift. Dollars start being pulled out of Black-owned media, Black creators stop being funded.” The campaign also represents a moment of rebirth for Revolt. Late last year, Co-Founder and Chairman Sean “Diddy” Combs, stepped down from the company amid four rape and sexual harassment lawsuits (Combs has denied all allegations). The rapper has been a key part of the company’s identity and pitch to the market, and the “Imagine If?” campaign appears the first step in Revolt’s reintroduction to audiences, investors and advertisers. Samuels said that Revolt “didn’t lose one client; we didn’t lose one penny; we didn’t lose one employee” stemming from Combs’ exit, adding that the company’s fourth-quarter business performance was strong. “It’s just a testament to the brand, who we are and the people who have built it and continue to uphold it,” said Samuels. “It’s also a testament to our purpose and people’s belief in our purpose and the desire and the need for Revolt.” Revolt’s “Imagine If?” campaign features AI art from Amir Garcia, Angel Darmella, Carlyle Smith, Curry J. Hackett, Jason Smith, Minne Genevieve Atairu, Tylonn J Sawyer, Zabel Castillo, Erlen Masson, Juriel Majeed and Jarrhette Burke.

How Revolt is using AI in its Black History Month campaign

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