Social media has upended the traditional promotional methods of engaging with customers, leaving you left to explore which of the social media channels are best for your marketing and communications plans. Do you engage through a branded Facebook group? A Twitter feed? Or do you create customer awareness through a viral YouTube video or design your own personal page for a fresh look? Whatever your strategy, imagery will continue to remain integral to creating an engaging user experience for any of your social media programs.

Getty Images recognizes that our customers need to be more nimble than ever, and our licensing must continue to evolve accordingly. Today, Getty Images has introduced two new licensing options designed specifically for social media use. When licensing any creative image under our rights-managed licensing model, customers can now select “Other Web & Mobile Uses” category to find:

• Web – Social Media for advertising or promotional use*
• Web – Social Media for non-commercial, editorial use*

* Price is determined on duration of use, territory

Now, you can take advantage of the social networking buzz with the use of compelling imagery from our premium rights managed collections, complete with indemnification.

Let us know what you think about our continued efforts to develop simplified licensing models. We want to help you do your best work.

Digg This!   Tweet This!   Share on Facebook   Stumble It!

Getty Images presents the MISHMASH music video remix competition.  What is MISHMASH? It’s a competition for people who enjoy remixing and editing music and film.  Create a music video using one (or a mix of 5) Pump Audio music tracks and at least 50% of Getty Images’ footage clips & imagery.  Submit your video before 15 October 2009 for the chance to win a MacBook Pro 17inch with Final Cut Studio.

MISHMASH Music Video Competition is open to any person over 21 years of age, who are residents in Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and UK and are working for agencies or production companies.

To get all the details and to register for the competition visit MISHMASH.

Digg This!   Tweet This!   Share on Facebook   Stumble It!

Kevin Winter/Getty Images – Eric Charbonneau/Le Studio/Wireimage/Getty Images

Amber Heard shows off the novel exposed black zipper on her white-hot minidress at Columbia Pictures “Zombieland” Premiere on September 23, 2009 at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California.  She and Zombieland c0-star Emma Stone stole the show in their striking but very different dresses, both with a little surprise in the back.  Stone’s low backed, Alberta Ferretti dress was dusky and elegant, while Heard’s Paule Ka Fall asymmetrical power-mini held a youthful edge.

Which starlet was dressed to wake the dead last night?

Chelsea Lauren/WireImage/Getty Images – Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Eric Charbonneau/Le Studio/Wireimage/GettyImages

Digg This!   Tweet This!   Share on Facebook   Stumble It!

Winner of a Getty Images Grants for Editorial Photography, Kai Wiedenhöefer has recently completed his project entitled Sharon’s Wall: Holy Land, Divided Lands

In his project summary, Kai writes, “During a sunset in August 2005 I was standing in a hole next to the Neve Dekalim settlement in the Gaza Strip. I was digging out an exploded Qassam rocket that Palestinian militants had shot there from the neighbouring Khan Yunis Refugee Camp, when I received the call from Getty Images that I had received the Getty Images Editorial Grant. The rocket ended up as a decoration in the apartment of a friend of mine in Tel Aviv, the Getty Images Grant resulted in a book publication.  The Grant was a major financial help to bring this project to fruition. The grant was feeding the hungry mouth of the panorama camera with 220 rolls of film which made the project very expensive. It helped me also to return for another two trips each for a month and close the project in spring 2006. In 2007 Steidl published my book Wall. Altogether it was the project I enjoyed most in my life as a photographer so far and the Getty Images Grant played a mayor role in it.”

See Kai’s finished photo essay at Getty Images.

Digg This!   Tweet This!   Share on Facebook   Stumble It!

Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

Pixie Geldof walks down the runway during the Jeremy Scott Fashion Show during London Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2010 on September 22, 2009.  Each Fashion Week has its distinct personality and London’s is a bit more playful, spunky and daring than its Paris, Milan or New York counterparts.   House Of Holland  can be counted on for something novel and Luella always lightens the mood with her quirky retro florals.  This year, Jeremy Scott takes his usual sense of kitsch to the cave, sending models down the runway looking like an adolescent Pebbles.  Maybe like is not strong enough.  This collection IS Pebbles Flintstones wardrobe.  The risk in showing a kitschy, referential collection is that can be easily dismissed.  Do you like this take on caveman- punk or have you already forgotten about it? See more pieces here.

Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

Digg This!   Tweet This!   Share on Facebook   Stumble It!

Last night television stars walked the red carpet and accepted their Emmy Awards with grace (and no interruptions besides the subtle cut-off music).  Below are some extra awards from last night that need to be given out.  ‘We would like to thank’….

Best Dressed (Tie):  January Jones and Blake Lively

-Both took risks and both paid off

Jason Merritt/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images, Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Worst Dressed: Sarah Silverman

Jason Merritt/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Cougar Award:  Vanessa Williams

Jason Merritt/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Most Pregnant:  Heidi Klum

Mathew Imaging/WireImage/Getty Images

Family Man Award: Rob Lowe (+ sons)

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Dressed Too Old: Hayden Panettiere

Mathew Imaging/WireImage/Getty Images

Dressed Too Young: Eva La Rue

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Best Speech: Ricky Gervais

Kevin Winter/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

‘ Of Course’ Award: Phoebe Price

Mathew Imaging/WireImage/Getty Images

Best Host: Neil Patrick Harris

Kevin Winter/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

VMA Award: Kristin Chenoweth

- She definitely would have gotten best dressed at the VMAs!

Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic/Getty Images

Jacka** Award: Victoria Rowell

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Digg This!   Tweet This!   Share on Facebook   Stumble It!

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images – Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Actress Blake Lively was red hot at the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards held at the Nokia Theatre on September 20, 2009 in Los Angeles, California, but we actually think the black sequined Balmain dress she wore for HBO’s post Emmy Awards reception at the Pacific Design Center was more striking on the leggy Gossip Girls star.  The red Versace dress screamed sex and with that usually comes the risk  of a wardrobe malfunction, so we understand the practicality in switching dresses for an after party.

Rose Byrne was luminous in her creme chiffon Valentino dress at the Emmy Awards but who can really relax when minding a delicate floor-length confection?    She slipped into a shorter grey and violet dress dripping with sequins for the after party.  Byrne, Lively and Leighton Meester were in the minority, having made a wardrobe change between the Emmy Awards presentation and The HBO post Emmy reception, but as Lady Gaga knows, switching it up a little draws lots of attention.

Mathew Imaging/WireImage – Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Digg This!   Tweet This!   Share on Facebook   Stumble It!