BET Black Canvas: A Public Cultural Activation
Creative Direction: Jo-Well Paupaw
Discipline: Experiential / Brand / Content
Location: Multi‑City · United States
Black Canvas reintroduced BET as a living platform for Black creativity—moving the brand from broadcast into real‑world cultural space.
I led the creative vision across award-winning, multi‑city experiential activation and artist‑and community‑first storytelling that transformed public murals into declarations of Black identity, authorship, and ownership.
Anchored by the tagline I wrote—“Where Black Culture Lives”—Black Canvas came to life through 8 murals across 6 cities, each created in collaboration with local Black artists and inspired by core brand declarations I helped define with senior leadership.
Alongside the experiential work, I creative directed a five‑minute documentary webisode (Clio Award winner), coordinating production crews across six cities during COVID and leading senior creative teams across copy, film, design, and post.
Black Canvas wasn’t a rebrand—it was a cultural statement.
Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist - Aftermath Activation Stunt
Creative Direction: Jo-Well Paupaw
Discipline: Experiential / Activations
Location: Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood
Led the creative direction for a large-scale OOH activation that transformed a Sunset Boulevard storefront into the aftermath of a real heist—designed to feel less like advertising and more like a moment you accidentally walked into.
The piece centered on a crashed getaway car bursting out of the building, headlights still on, smoke rising from the hood, and cash, jewels, and casino chips scattered across the scene. Audio leaked from the car’s damaged radio—warped, distorted, and looping—to add a cinematic layer you could hear before you fully saw what was happening.
Working within strict West Hollywood permitting restrictions, the storefront was reframed as a dimensional environment rather than a flat passive barricade-style ad. Full-height key art panels framed the entry while period-correct robbery silhouettes appeared through the doors to create depth and narrative without sacrificing realism. Backlit key art and signage introduced an Atlanta-inspired glow that activated the stunt at night.
Campaign language—including “Based on some sh*t that really happened”—was integrated to reinforce tone without overwhelming the environment.
The result was a tactile, immersive street-level activation that stopped traffic, rewarded proximity, and extended the Fight Night world into the real city—turning passersby into witnesses, not just viewers.
Devil in Disguise: John Wayne Gacy Subway Triptych
The Burbs - LA Live Takeover