BAT and Getty Images Expand and Extend Partnership

IRVINE, Calif. & NEW YORK, April 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Brand Affinity Technologies, Inc. (BAT), the company reinventing endorsement and celebrity marketing, and Getty Images, the world's leading creator and distributor of visual content and other digital media, have expanded their partnership to further ease activation and drive adoption of endorsed advertising campaigns. BAT and Getty Images are making a coordinated effort across sales, marketing, and creative fronts to introduce more advertisers to endorsement marketing opportunities.

Under the expanded agreement, BAT's advertiser-ready athlete and celebrity images and videos will now be available directly through Getty Images. The renewed partnership is a natural extension a year after BAT clients first gained access to select Getty Images imagery for use in ad campaigns through BAT's Web-based Platform. In addition, the companies will refer endorsement and image-licensing business to each other as part of this expanded and preferred partnership. For advertisers, endorsement and celebrity strategy and execution are now even more efficient as they gain access to thousands of high-quality assets that can quickly and easily be applied to campaigns.

"Getty Images does far more than meet the demand for high-quality visual content – it empowers clients to unlock creative possibilities and helps bring ideas to life," said Ryan Steelberg, president and CEO of BAT. "Together, we're setting out to change the way endorsements have always been done, and capitalize on the ubiquity and consumer passion for celebrity. We expect 2010 will be another milestone year."

The expanded partnership also calls for integrated sales and marketing programs. Plans include co-hosted events featuring sports stars at the June 2010 New York Knicks anniversary celebration and the July 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Anaheim, CA. The events are part of a series of activities throughout the year designed to allow Getty Images and BAT clients and partners to better benefit from the expanded collaboration.

"The endorsement and celebrity market is poised for exponential growth, and our expanded partnership with BAT will give the advertisers and agencies that rely on Getty Images a way to capitalize on new opportunities," said Peter Orlowsky, vice president of business development for Getty Images. "BAT has proven its ability to take endorsement deals from concept to reality in a matter of weeks or even days, and advertisers are taking notice."

About Brand Affinity Technologies, Inc. (BAT)

Founded in 2007, BAT (http://brandaffinity.net) is reinventing the business of endorsement marketing by making it easy and affordable for advertisers of all sizes to launch ad campaigns featuring athletes and celebrities. Advertisers use BAT's Endorsement Platform to identify, license, and activate the most effective talent for their campaigns, based on brand and targeting considerations. Currently, BAT's Platform features more than 3,300 top athletes and celebrities in markets nationwide, and is used by leading advertisers to build brand value and boost campaign performance. BAT's celebrity roster includes Olympic athletes and marquee active and retired players in nearly every sport, including Drew Brees (NFL), Jorge Posada (MLB), Rajon Rondo (NBA), Brooks Robinson (MLB – Hall of Fame), Walt Frazier (NBA – Hall of Fame), and Lennox Lewis (Boxing).

About Getty Images

Getty Images is the world's leading creator and distributor of still imagery, footage and multimedia products, as well as a recognized provider of other forms of premium digital content, including music. Getty Images serves business customers in more than 100 countries and is the first place creative and media professionals turn to discover, purchase, and manage images and other digital content. Its award-winning photographers and imagery help customers produce inspiring work which appears every day in the world's most influential newspapers, magazines, advertising campaigns, films, television programs, books and Web sites. Visit Getty Images at www.gettyimages.com to learn more about how the company is advancing the unique role of digital media in communications and business, and enabling creative ideas to come to life.

SOURCE Brand Affinity Technologies, Inc.; Getty Images