2023 Silver Medal Recipient - Louis Carr

CAF is proud to name Louis Carr, President of Media Sales, BET, as our 2023 Silver Medal Award winner. The CAF Silver Medal is a prestigious honor, awarded annually to someone who has achieved significant success working in the advertising or marketing world; has worked toward increasing the stature and raising the standards of the advertising profession; has shown evidence of a consistent and high degree of creative, original thinking; has contributed to the development of others in the advertising industry through professional, civic and community activities; and has spent his career in Chicago.

About Louis Carr

Louis Carr has been with BET for 37 years, serving as the President of Media Sales for the last 21 years. During his tenure with the company, Carr has transformed the multicultural space for some of the world’s biggest brands and stimulated over $9B in advertising sales. Through strategic partnerships with corporations like Procter & Gamble, Unilever, McDonald’s, General Motors, Facebook, Apple, and many more, he has been a guide and a consultant on opportunities that exist within black and brown communities. Through his deep understanding of linear TV, digital and social platforms, he has made BET Networks the number one brand and choice for Black consumers. Carr’s mantra, “Be led by data and insights,” has driven BET to have the largest repository of information on Black consumers than any other med7ia company worldwide. His understanding of this data has inspired him to create content and messages that help marketers sell products and services and help them become good corporate citizens.

In addition to Carr’s stellar professional career, he has had a long-term commitment to young people and his community. Carr founded the Louis Carr Internship Foundation (LCIF) 19 years ago to help improve diversity in corporate America through paid internships. The foundation has provided 200 paid internships, in which 60 alumni now have full-time jobs within the industry. Staying true to his commitment of giving back, Carr launched his latest brand called WayMaker. He purposed this initiative to help provide direction, wisdom and inspiration to people wanting to grow their life and change the world. Through the quarterly WayMaker Journal and other avenues, the umbrella brand offers insight from subject matter experts across a wide range of fields. He has also created The WayMaker Men’s Summit (formerly known as – The Blueprint Men’s Summit) and The Blueprint Connect Podcast, which bring together some of Black America’s high profile thought leaders to educate Black men in the areas of Finance, Health, Careers, Relationships, and Entrepreneurship.

Carr has authored two books, Dirty Little Secrets and Little Black Book: Daily Motivations for Business and Personal Growth. He openly lays out his blueprint to greatness, covering much-needed topics like Leadership, Culture, Strategy, Vision, Success, and Diversity.

Most recently, Carr was inducted into the 2023 Advertising Hall of Fame. Carr has also been recognized by theboardiQ as a Top 100 Hall of Fame African American and was named one of the Most Influential Black Corporate Directors by Savoy Magazine. He has served on more advertising industry boards than any other African American. He held seats on the International Radio and Television Society (IRTS), the Video Advertising Bureau (VAB), the Advertising Council, and the American Advertising Federation (AAF).

He currently serves on Cedar Fair’s Board of Directors, Drake University’s Board of Trustees, and The United States Track and Field Foundation (USATF) Board.

About the Silver Medal Program

The annual Silver Medal Award program was created in 1983 to recognize a distinguished member of the Chicago advertising community for their contributions to the advertising profession, mentorship, support for the broader community, and their accomplishments.

Past CAF Silver Medal Recipients