Masterfile launches Masterfile City: a creative virtual platform, or "How Masterfile changes the meaning of 'going out on the town'."

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Düsseldorf, December 2007: On Friday, December 7, when the world's largest independent photo agency, Masterfile, launches its new creative virtual platform, "Masterfile City" {masterfile.com/city), the phrase "going out on the town" will get a whole new meaning. Masterfile City is an animated playground, work space and information resource rolled into one creative destination for grownup (but young-at-heart) art buyers. It's a virtual city on the Internet offering "leisure" activities that add a playful twist to the practical task of conducting photo searches.

A masterfile.com login grants access to the hustle and bustle of Masterfile City. Registration is free and a trip to the city is always worthwhile. At the School, visitors take on the role of teachers, providing Masterfile with feedback on its various tools and services. The Masterfile Casino is open for a gaming session or two, and the Movie Theater enchants its audience with the latest Masterfile flicks. The Museum features exciting exhibitions of top photographers while at the Kiosk visitors can browse through new magazines as well as back issues of the Masterfile newsletters. Another highlight: visitors can playfully explore Masterfile's search tools (e.g., SimSearch(tm)) and use them for their own photo search.

No matter what visitors choose to do, they will be rewarded for their activities. Everyone receives Creative Points to participate in Masterfile's Trip-around-the-World competition as well as all the other regular prize drawings. And returning to the familiar masterfile.com interface requires only a click of the mouse.

Masterfile City is a city that never sleeps. It continually changes with regular updates and reinvents itself according to the wishes of its visitors. Masterfile City also provides an extra benefit to its partners: just like a "real" city, partner companies can choose from a variety of innovative formats to present their offers. In addition to that, Masterfile invites graphic designers and design agencies to introduce their work on the Masterfile City platform.

The virtual city is at the core of Masterfile's new "city campaign," which started with the "Masterfile City" booklet in September and will continue with elaborate cross-media marketing activities. Thus, Masterfile City is happening in the "real" world - beyond the confines of the Internet. The campaign was conceived, developed and implemented in Masterfile's European headquarters in Düsseldorf. Masterfile worked with Parasol Island, a Düsseldorf-based agency, to develop the masterfile.com/mcity page,

Visit Masterfile City on masterfile.com/mcity.

About Masterfile

Masterfile Corporation is the world's leading independent photo agency. The European headquarters has been in Düsseldorf, Germany, since January 2006. Additional branches are in Milan, London and Paris. Its wide array of pictures includes top-quality collections of rights-managed and royalty-free photos by internationally recognised photographers. The company's excellent services are based on personal customer service, fast picture research, including the specially developed SimSearch™ tool, as well as the instant digital delivery of the picture material on the Internet. Company headquarters is in Toronto, Canada. There are independent sales partners in 30 additional countries.

For further information, contact:

Contact Masterfile UK
Masterfile U.K. Ltd.
Chancery Lane, London, WC2A 1HR, UK

Direct.: +44 (0)870 351 7930
Email: glawrence@masterfile.com

Contact Masterfile Europe:
Masterfile European Headquarters
Schanzenstr. 20
40549 Düsseldorf, Germany

Direct: +49 (0) 211 95 77 00
Fax: +49 (0) 211 95 77 03 99
Email: duesseldorf@masterfile.com

Press contact:
We would greatly appreciate brief notification of publication or if we are mentioned in your publication. If you need additional information or photo material, please contact Masterfile Corporation's Publicity Department:

L*ÉTOILE PR / Tina Husemann
Schanzenstr. 20
40549 Düsseldorf, Germany

Direct: +49 (0) 211 58 00 56 54
Mobile: +49 (0) 177 672 5403
Email: press.europe@masterfile.com or tina@letoile-pr.de