Visit Florida Keys and Key West How Do You Make America’s 250th Feel Unmistakably Florida Keys?
America only turns 250 once. For The Florida Keys & Key West, the opportunity was bigger than celebrating a national milestone. It was a strategic chance to tell the story through a place that has always had its own ideas about independence.
Starmark and Visit Florida Keys created an integrated America 250 campaign that connected the nation’s history with the people, places and free-spirited culture of The Keys. From a new commemorative identity, to print, social and out of home applications, every piece celebrated the occasion while keeping The Keys front and center.
A National Milestone With a Keys Point of View
The campaign needed an identity that could commemorate America’s 250th while still feeling distinctly connected to The Florida Keys.
Starmark developed a new brandmark that brought patriotic cues together with elements inspired by The Keys. Five stars represented the five Keys destinations while flag-inspired forms gave the mark a sense of movement.
Just as important, the system was designed to flex across everything from pole banners and event signage to smaller commemorative uses, giving Visit Florida Keys a consistent visual signature throughout the celebration.
Putting Keys History in the Spotlight
America’s story is full of people who tried something that seemed impossible. The Florida Keys has a few of those stories of its own. For a special Smithsonian Magazine placement, Starmark focused on Henry Flagler’s Overseas Railroad and the extraordinary route that eventually became today’s Overseas Highway.
The spread pairs historic construction photography with a modern aerial of the Seven Mile Bridge, connecting an ambitious chapter of the past to an experience travelers can still follow today.
Giving Independence a Little Keys Flavor
For magazine placements like in Food & Wine, Starmark brought America 250 into the established voice of The Florida Keys with distinctly local takes on ad copy.
Bringing it all into the Social Feed
Paid social extended the story with a mix of video and historical content designed for discovery. A launch video introduced the platform:
A companion carousel moved through chapters of Keys history, from wreckers and the Overseas Railroad to maritime history and the Conch Republic, connecting the destination’s independent spirit across generations.
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