Valentine’s Day is always a good day for press photos. Picture editors aren’t necessarily the most romantic of people. Good souls they all are, but wading through war, famine, disaster, left-to-rights, big cheques, handshakes and handouts tens of thousands of times a day doesn’t leave much room for candles & poetry.
However once a year we get to indulge our love for nuzzling swans, swathes of red roses and eccentric marriage proposals. If there’s a scantily clad model promoting Valentine lingerie, so much the better…
- Image may be NSFW.
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From a PR point of view Valentine’s Day represents one of those fantastic opportunities where at least part of the news agenda is fixed in advance. Valentines Day themed PR pictures or stunts – so long as the branding is managed – do what all the best PR press shots do; they give the media what they want when they want it.
Image may be NSFW.
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PR shots are usually trying to gain coverage on a date that is specific or important to the clients campaign or announcement. However on occasions such as Valentine’s Day, Easter Sunday, first day of Wimbledon, Halloween, etc. supply and demand sync up. Papers need related picture stories and in an era of limited staff photographers, PR’s, with a little thought and creativity, can be in a good place to provide them.
In the past few years we’ve been commissioned to cover a living Valentine’s billboard for MasterCard, arranged Alesha Dixon in a bath filled with red condoms for the Dept of Health and photographed glamour model Lucy Pinder encouraging us to turn down the lights for love on behalf of Energy Saving Trust. The latter being probably the only time such environment concerns made the front page of The Daily Sport – proof indeed that the right picture can engage a whole new audience.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
I don’t know what 2011 will hold but I’m confident that even in these difficult times romance isn’t dead and I look forward to seeing some equally amorous images brightening up the papers and news websites once again come February 14th.
Post by Tim Kerr (Picture Editor and Director @TNR Communications)
