For years Tampa Bay had been getting lost amidst the sunshine sameness of Florida’s destinations. Without a unique position, national and international focus groups ranked the city poorly – as middling or worse of every surveyed category. How could an area rich with history and lore rank lower in authenticity than the manufactured machine of rival city Orlando?

Each year, the city of Tampa is united in the Gasparilla Parade, a weekend long celebration of the city’s pirating history with residents dressing up as pirates and lining the streets to watch. With such unique pirate culture going back 300 years, the brand was positioned around rebellious discovery, and gave the city a symbol for residents to rally around that they were only happy to fly as their flag.

The results were a rallying call for the destination’s leaders to unlock the city’s potential and reclaim prominence with a personality that was true to the spirit of the Bay and step out from the middle.