Changing Anchor Text and Domain Name on external sites

[daracreative]

Hey guys,

I was hoping somebody might be help with my current dilema. We have a international website due to go live soon which has changed its brand name.

It is International educational website funded by the government is all I can tell you I'm afraid.

They have over 40,000 inbound links many of which are images. I'm wondering what i site best approach. To contact the web master of the top PR sites and ask them to change the listing to the new brand? I was also thinking if I was to leave most of them there as they would be redirected anyhow. Could I be clever and add the new brand link to some of these sites without removing the old and reap the benefits of having two links, the old site url and the new site url?

Here is the main dilema though, the commission wish to keep the old site live for 6 months before we can redirect.

Thanks,

Rob