JIM DARLINGTON

There are lots of things people say about the state of Florida. And then there are the things the state of Florida says about itself. I’ve written, concepted and created a bunch of those things, and never once managed to sell through any of the Florida Man concepts I pitched.

Recognition: Print, Adweek, The Print Awards, Brand New, How Design, The Drum, Travel Week and more.

Sunshine-Sensitive Adventure Map

While Florida is known for its beaches and theme parks, little is known about the unique outdoor experiences waiting to be had. We partnered with VISIT FLORIDA to design a map printed with UV-sensitive photochromic inks that, when brought into the sunshine, reveal adventures around the state. The maps were distributed in Outside Magazine’s summer travel issue to over 350,000 subscribers hungry for outdoor inspiration after being stuck inside during the 2020 pandemic.

Escape to the Sunshine

As part of Visit Florida’s “Escape to the Sunshine” winter campaign, and to show just how mean and miserable winter can really be, we created a series of unfinished, hyper-realistic, hand-painted billboards depicting beautiful, warm and sunny Florida scenes in contrast with the dreary and gray city backdrops of New York City, Boston, and Chicago. Yeah, not even the painters could resist escaping.

Toronto Takeover: The Sunshine Line

As it turns out, Toronto’s TTC 1 Subway Line happens to be shaped exactly like the state of Florida. And with another cold Canadian winter looming, we partnered with VISIT FLORIDA to create the Sunshine Line, transforming the subway into the Sunshine State—destinations included.

Throughout the campaign, passengers on the bright pink train were taken on a true-to-life tour of Florida during their morning commute, where nine individual stations were reimagined as their corresponding Florida cities. Yorkdale station at the line’s northwest corner became Florida’s northwestern city of Pensacola. Union Station at the southern tip of the line became the state’s southernmost point, the Florida Keys.

Exploring All The Shades of Sunshine

When you think of Florida you probably think of two things: beaches and theme parks. When VISIT FLORIDA approached us to refresh their brand materials, advertising, and events, we wanted to show how much more diverse we as Floridians knew it to be. We created a modern brand that put a variety of new locations and experiences front and center.