This year, country’s biggest night hit a new high note. For the 60th Annual Academy of Country Music Awards, we faced this challenge head-on by shattering expectations of what an anniversary celebration could look like for an award show that honors its legacy. In just 28 days, we delivered over 148 million impressions, 7 million engagements, and 122 million video views across 867 posts proving the show’s impact extended far beyond the stage.

As the longest-running country music awards show, the ACMs have always represented the heart and soul of country music. Rather than defaulting to the traditional anniversary playbook of retrospective tributes and classic motifs, we crafted a campaign that boldly straddled past and future. Our vision crystallized around a powerful new theme: “Superstars, Legends, and Icons of Country Music.” This platform allowed us to honor six decades of country music excellence while spotlighting the show’s contemporary energy.

To bring that to life, we brought back the ultimate icon: Reba McEntire. Returning to host for her 17th time, Reba anchored our campaign with a mix of humor, heart, and timeless star power, proving once again that she’s not just part of country music’s legacy, but actively shaping its future.

To elevate the visual identity, we collaborated with artist Jeremy Cowart, whose unexpected color palette and cutting-edge creative techniques helped create a campaign that felt both reverent and revolutionary. His artistic approach added depth and emotion, giving us a multi-platform look that captured the gravitas of the anniversary and the electric anticipation of how the show would raise the bar for the 60th. But the impact didn’t stop at the screen—it shaped the show itself. Our marketing design inspired everything from the on-stage graphics to the set design, bringing our creative vision full circle in front of a live audience.

The result was a marketing campaign that honored tradition while breaking new ground - proving that even at 60, the ACMs continue to set the gold standard for music award shows.