Where else would Nixon and honest Abe meet face to face? The Bettmann screen saver is an innovative promotion that builds on the client’s core attributes. The objective was to define and develop a promotional vehicle that would revitalize Bettmann and emphasize Bettmann’s unique status in the minds of its existing client base. CSA used Bettmann’s product in an unconventional way in order to develop business with an unexpected approach. The screen saver is an animated collage utilizing 20 portraits from the archives. When the facial features are randomly combined, they create over 160,000 comedic and bizarre compositions. The concept and design communicates the Archives; relevance to the contemporary creative process.
The promotion embraces new technology with a cost-effective solution. The technological benefits of the design are two-fold: The animated collage format requires minimal memory and allows for maximum variety and content. It exposes “a few of the faces and the thousands of possibilities at Bettmann.” The range of portraitures used, displays a wide range of mediums, moods, cultures and time periods. The customer feedback has been tremendous and the screen saver’s success demonstrates the value of re-thinking how a company uses its valuable resources to promote its products and services. CSA contribution in concept and design has succeeded in re-establishing Bettmann with a dynamic identity within the marketplace.
In addition to the screen saver, CSA will create the 150 pages catalogue for Bettmann. Well-known images from the archives will be enhanced and presented in a colorful and dynamic way to highlight new possibilities available to creative professionals when working with this vast visual resource.