Santa Barbara's tourism needed to reflect who actually travels—not just who traditionally appears in travel ads. As freelance creative director, I developed a campaign that celebrated the rich diversity of modern families through a distinctive cinematic lens.

The series featured real family dynamics rarely seen in tourism marketing: multi-generational adventures between grandmothers and grandchildren, single parents navigating travel with teens, blended families finding their rhythm. Each vignette used Wes Anderson-inspired aesthetics to elevate these authentic stories, proving that artistic direction and genuine representation aren't mutually exclusive.

By showing a meditation-enthusiast teen traveling with her extroverted mother, or an adventurous grandmother sharing discoveries with her grandchild, we expanded the definition of who belongs in paradise. The visual language was intentionally stylized, treating each frame like a miniature film still. This aesthetic departure from traditional tourism content resonated powerfully—viewership increased over 100%, with vignettes averaging over 800k views each. The campaign proved that when tourism marketing reflects real families in all their beautiful configurations, everyone can see themselves in the destination.