One of the world’s most iconic photos, the default Microsoft Windows XP wallpaper, titled Bliss, is the product of a love story that began more than 20 years ago. It was during mid-1990s when the author of the photo, Charles O’Rear, drove through California’s vineyards to visit his girlfriend, Daphne. “It’s because of her that we’ve got the photograph,” explained the artist. Shortly after he managed to take a shot of beautiful hills near Sonoma Highway, California, the former National Geographic photographer sold it to Corbis, a stock photo and image licensing service founded by Bill Gates in 1989, now known as Branded Entertainment Network.
A few years after Windows XP was launched and the picture reached billions of users, some grew skeptical about its true origin. More precisely, the author believed that someone within Microsoft started a rumor that Bliss was made using the Adobe Photoshop. Mr. O’Rear later denied the story and even brought a proof showing the renowned photo entirely recreated using Photoshop. Over the years, the original image became known as ‘the world’s most viewed photograph’.
Although some people still remain doubtful over the photo’s source, airline company Lufthansa doesn’t fit into this category. Putting trust into the man’s artistic powers, Lufthansa contacted Chuck O’Rear asking him to deliver the same kind of magic he did two decades ago. Only this time, he had to do it for a different device. A screen that we use more than 250 times a day: a smartphone.
Together with Swedish agency House of Radon, the airline started a project through which it brings a tribute to the beauty of North America’s nature, giving credit to the world’s most anonymous celebrity.
The innovative campaign titled “New Angles of America” was created to capture the powerful dose of imagination that the photographer experienced when shooting Bliss. The company hopes that O’Rear would be able to find the right balance between creativity, originality, talent, and common sense and use all of his positive energy to reinvent a new visual concept that would to suit and adapt to current modern times.
As expected, the artist didn’t disappoint and delivered a series of images that would stand as the perfect background for a smartphone’s screen – and probably for a Hollywood fantasy movie…
To promote the unique destinations of North America, Lufthansa sent Charles O’Rear to three key locations that faithfully mirror the uniqueness of America’s natural landscapes: White Pocket in Arizona, Maroon Bells in Colorado, and Peek a Boo Slot Canyon in Utah.
They say that no photo can capture the true essence of a place like the human eye does. Yet, O’Rear managed to defy the saying and captured the sheer beauty of these places through the lens of his camera. The three resulting images convey the pure elegance and distinctive features of these landscapes.
You can download all three smartphone wallpapers directly from the website dedicated to the initiative for free. Your interest in O’Rear’s photographs will be rewarded with a journey by Lufthansa, allowing you to roam free around American wilderness.
If you want to impress the company to present you with a free ticket, you have to upload one of the three photos to Instagram alongside a caption saying why you would like to explore the selected place. When you express your thoughts online, don’t forget to use the #NewAnglesofAmerica hashtag. Also, don’t forget to tag @Lufthansa and one of your friends who you’d like to break free with across America’s landscapes and become the lucky winner. Fingers crossed and good luck!
Credits:
Client: Lufthansa
Agency: House of Radon
Images: Imgur, Chuck O’Rear