Bermuda is commonly misidentified as part of the Caribbean—thanks in part to a well-known line from the hit song Kokomo: “Bermuda, Bahamas, come on pretty mama.” In collaboration with Bermuda Tourism, we set out to reframe this narrative and position Bermuda as a distinctive Atlantic destination located just 650 miles off the coast of North Carolina. While Bermuda has traditionally been marketed to luxury travelers, our goal was to showcase the island in a fresh, authentic, visually striking way—highlighting its rich history, vibrant culture, and breathtaking natural beauty beyond the beaches, inspiring travelers to experience Bermuda’s charm for themselves.
Bermuda is a small island—just about an hour’s drive from end to end. While its compact size allowed us to capture a wide range of locations and activities over five days, it also means that many of these places have been photographed extensively in previous tourism campaigns and editorial features. Our challenge was to reveal Bermuda’s charm in fresh, unexpected ways while still highlighting the elements that make it distinctive, drawing on National Geographic’s reputation for unmatched visual storytelling.
We began by analyzing existing coverage of Bermuda and identifying perspectives and activities (such as rock climbing) that had not been explored or covered in depth. To offer an immersive view of the island, we captured it from multiple vantage points (land, sea, and sky). Through aerial/drone shots and underwater photography, we revealed Bermuda’s adventurous side— from exploring off-shore shipwrecks to kayaking along its limestone cliffs—while portraits offered an intimate look at its cultural stewards, such as Gombey dancers, forager Doreen William-James, and beloved Swizzle Inn bartender Julie Barnes. Landscape images spotlighted Bermuda’s distinctive natural wonders and cultural landmarks, such as the Crystal and Fantasy Caves, Blue Hole Park, and the UNESCO-listed Unfinished Church, showcasing the beauty of Bermuda beyond its beaches and luxury resorts and offering a fuller picture of what the island has to offer.
To reach millions of travel intenders, we distributed our content across National Geographic’s Travel and Adventure social and digital platforms. A custom photo story article took readers on a visually captivating journey through Bermuda's history, natural beauty, and culture. On Instagram, custom photo posts offered viewers a window into our photographer’s Bermuda experience, and a custom Vertical Story Ad enticed audiences by pairing vibrant clips of Bermuda with the text “You could be in Bermuda right now.” Finally, we capitalized on the “This Is Not” trend to create a high-engagement Vertical Video published across Instagram, Facebook, YouTube Shorts, and TikTok. The video juxtaposed Caribbean-like imagery with distinctive Bermuda locations and activities, driving home the message that Bermuda is “not the Caribbean,” but rather a destination all its own.
