WHO WE ARE
Like all the best ideas, Blue Orchid Advertising began as a conversation around a water cooler. That water cooler was at Baha Mar Resort and the year was 2016. The conversation was between three specialists in the fields of marketing, advertising, and production. Tasman, David and Valentino enjoyed such great synergy that they vowed, should ever the opportunity present itself, to combine their skills and establish the first 360 agency in The Bahamas. A few months later the luxury resort development was stalled just yards from the finish line, and an opportunity was born. The rest is history.
Blue Orchid is dedicated to servicing The Bahamas and Caribbean region - providing turn-key solutions for blue chip brands and household names, while solving unique business challenges with its results-driven creative philosophy. The driving force of Blue Orchid is the same one that brought the three founders together around the water cooler. To provide effective marketing solutions for the region. To show the world that a growing group of bold, savvy, and driven “Orchids” can produce world-class, daring work that sells.
These three words strike at the core of who we are and what we value.
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TASMAN DARLING
TASMAN DARLING
MANAGING DIRECTOR & FOUNDERTasman Darling is the founding member of the Blue Orchid Group of Companies with over 30 years marketing advertising experience for blue-chip companies.
With a passion of paying attention to the details, he has served as Board Director and consultant for several corporate entities, he combines expert knowledge of the Caribbean market with an obsession for customer satisfaction by blowing away the customer exceeding their expectations.
Tasman loves playing tennis and spending time with family and friends.
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DAVID WJ LEE
DAVID WJ LEE
CREATIVE DIRECTOR & FOUNDERDavid began his advertising career as a copywriter for The Hallway Agency in Australia, crafting campaigns for blue-chip brands likes Westpac, Jacob’s Creek, Tourism Queensland and Google Australia.
In 2015, David returned to The Bahamas to take on the position of Social Media Content Director at Baha Mar Resorts. During this time he had the pleasure of working alongside Tasman Darling and Valentino Lloyd, his current partners at Blue Orchid Advertising Agency.
David is published in The New York Times and Surfers Path Magazine and has co-produced two documentaries for international film festivals. He is still working on his Bahamas memoir based on his years living on a sailboat in Nassau Harbour.
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VALENTINO LLOYD
VALENTINO LLOYD
ART DIRECTOR & FOUNDERGrowing up with a love of stories, Valentino followed his heart into the world of media production. He began his career with The Movi Group wearing the successive hats of Editor, Videographer, Director and Production Manager for popular reality TV shows such as BTC Star Maker and Miss Bahamas. He also worked as an editor for Roots and Culture TV which aired internationally on the Tempo Network.
In 2012, Valentino joined Baha Mar Resorts as Producer and Visual Production Manager, setting the bar high from the onset with the production of the Dream Team Campaign – winner of 2013 Gold Magellan Award from Travel Weekly.
Outside of work, Valentino loves people, nature, and plain ol’ good times. He believes that creativity is spawned from those experiences in life that are not easily deduced or defined.
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Christa Munroe
Christa Munroe
FINANCE & HR MANAGERAs the Finance & HR Manager, Christa is responsible for organizing all the administrative & financial activities that facilitate the smooth running of the operation. She pursued a degree in Accounting and Business Administration at the College of The Bahamas (now the University of the Bahamas) and later earned her certification in Human Resource Management. As a true believer in life-long learning, Christa is currently completing her Masters in Human Resource Management & Development.
With over 15 years of experience in office and operations management, striving for perfection is second nature for Christa. The wheels of Blue Orchid turn effortlessly thanks to her exceeding client expectations from beginning to end. With her attention to detail and supportive nature, Christa is a key player and always cheers on the team throughout every stage of a project. Her skills are exceptional and she can tackle any challenge with an unmatched soothing disposition. Her love for customer service, hospitality, event planning and organizing makes her an integral part of the organization.
When she’s not working, Christa loves reading, learning new culinary skills and spending quality time with her kids and family.
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Jayson Braynen
Jayson Braynen
CREATIVE LEADJayson's first client pitches were often to his parents, as a kid. Whether it was the outer space restaurant with saturn-shaped onion rings, or the cat hotel with jacuzzis shaped like mice, Jayson has never been a stranger to original ideas. He gained a reputation in college for being a Swiss army knife that could deftly contribute in multiple disciplines.
With a B.Sc. in Creative Advertising from Johnson & Wales University, Jayson's search for a niche to call his own led him back to The Bahamas - but not without pitstops in Rhode Island and Georgia along the way! His creative vision is imprinted on The Bahamas Consulate General in Atlanta, Fusion Superplex, and Enigma Carnival Band.
While analyzing local and international politics with his new baby (Spectrum Politics) comes naturally to him, Jayson is most comfortable with a video game controller in his hands during his downtime.+ -
Julian Wallace
Julian Wallace
DIGITAL MEDIA PRODUCERJulian's interest in video production began when he was appointed as Manager of Marketing by his home church, where he became proficient in promotional videos, photography and production. He currently produces a Facebook talk show called Miracle Moments, managing the sound, video and software need for the show. His passion continued to grow as he worked for his church, seeking volunteer work wherever he could find it in hopes that an opportunity would arise to showcase his skills.
Outside of work Julian holds the position of Youth Director at Miracle Life Global Outreach Ministries International. His long-term vision is to see the youth in the Bahamas and around the world realize their individual identities in God. Julian has an ardent love for church, God, and a loving wife who supports him in every step of the way.
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Kovah Duncombe
Kovah Duncombe
LEAD PHOTOGRAPHERWith 10 years experience in photography and a background in graphic design, Kovah likes to focus on commercial and corporate projects. Over the years, he has shot for major national brands such as Kalik and John Bull through to international giants such as Coca-Cola, Starbucks and Ford.
Kovah believes that what makes a great photographer is "passion for the art" above all else - the passion to take the time to hone the technical skills until they fade to the background and leave only the art form.
Outside of work, Kovah can be found enjoying a cocktail or traveling - preferably a mix of the two.
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Alyssa Bushey
Alyssa Bushey
NORTH AMERICAN MARKETING SPECIALISTAlyssa Bushey has spent the last 20 years traversing the globe, launching, promoting and amplifying iconic brands and the executives supporting them. With an expertise in personal and corporate brand development and communications, Alyssa has worked internationally as a marketing executive for The Walt Disney Company, Caesars Palace, Montage International, Mandarin Oriental & Baha Mar. As an agency SVP, Alyssa led innovation and marketing strategies for companies such as Cotton, JetBlue, Lyft & Spotify. In 2019, Alyssa co-founded Edison 360, after most recently serving as the CMO for Margaritaville's mixed-use development in Orlando.
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Jenny Riker
Jenny Riker
NORTH AMERICAN MARKETING SPECIALISTOver 15 years ago, Jenny bid adieu to Florida to pursue her passion of film and television production in Los Angeles. Dreams came true as she started her career working for director Garry Marshall and in management of Hollywood's A-level celebrities. From there, she helped promote every aspect of America’s beloved comedy troupe, The Blue Collar Comedy tour. Creating and producing many notable TV series and films, for a variety of studios and networks, Jenny made her way back home to open Margaritaville's development in Orlando and now as a co-founder of Edison 360.
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Poco
Poco
CHIEF GUARDIAN OF THE OFFICE THERMOSTATPoco, both the runt of the litter and a Gemini (need we say more?), has always dreamed of stardom. His first taste of the spotlight came at a casting call for Bahama Handprint models, where he was almost turned down for being too “conventionally handsome.” With dogged determination, he stood his ground, and his modeling career was born.
After years in the sun, shooting advertisements for Carnival Cruises, Atlantis, and the Green Parrot Bar and Grill, Poco has gracefully transitioned to agency life. These days Poco is taking things slower, but still carries out his role at Blue Orchid as Chief Guardian of the Office Thermostat with the exuberance of a much younger, and larger dog.
In his spare time you’ll find Poco napping in the shade, commenting on Kylie Jenner’s Instagram, or listening to vinyl.
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WHAT WE DO
BRAND IDENTITY
Whether you are looking for a TV commercial, print ad, website, social media content, radio ad or a fully-integrated campaign, our creative process begins with a thorough examination and distillation of your brand DNA.
INTEGRATED ADVERTISING
We specialise in 360 integrated campaigns, telling your brand story & maintaining a consistent message across every channel - from print to TV, social media, digital and events. We also offer a full range of à la carte services.
PRODUCTION SERVICES
Blue Orchid boasts strong partnerships with top local & international production teams to ensure quality of content and consistency of messaging. We offer a full range of video & photography services - from event coverage to social content and large scale TV commercials.
COMMUNICATION STRATEGY
Great advertising concepts need an aligned deployment strategy in order to be effective. We solve your trickiest business challenges through the power of great ideas matched with the perfect communication plan.
MARKET RESEARCH
Market research is the cornerstone of an effective marketing campaign. We offer expert analysis by qualified statisticians to gauge brand awareness and market penetration.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Wonder what everyone’s saying about your company when you leave the room? Stop wondering. Our strategic partnerships with the best local & international PR companies have won us significant client victories in building, enhancing and protecting brands.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING ABOUT US
“The Blue Orchid team brought exceptional organization, creativity, and flair to the World Relays Bahamas event, helping us achieve our primary goal of a sold-out stadium. Their meticulous attention to detail and innovative approach were key in making the event a resounding success. It was a pleasure working with them over the past several months, and I truly hope we have the opportunity to collaborate again in the future.”
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Maria Ramos
Director | Brand & Marketing
World Athletics
“Thank you Blue Orchid for your excellent work and great cooperation as a strong team! We started with a truly refreshing campaign for Kalik Radler, resulting in double digit growth numbers. And then the ‘WHO ARE WE?’ campaign. What can I say? I’m very proud to be able to work on a campaign that sparked a national conversation and captured the true spirit of The Bahamas: proud, passionate, resilient and vibrant. I’m sure we can continue to further build our relationship, and surprise the Bahamas with more great work to come!”
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Meike Dijkstra
Marketing & Partnership Director
Commonwealth Brewery Ltd. Heineken Company
“Blue Orchid's thorough understanding and analysis of the local culture and skillful community relations services helped us make sound, informed decisions on communications strategy and brand development for Nassau Cruise Port.
The Blue Orchid team's insight and strategic expertise were instrumental in positioning us for success.
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Mehmet Kutman
Chairman
Global Ports Holding
“Creativity is fueled by curiosity and excellence is fueled by a passion for making a difference in your field. The Blue Orchid creative team, led by Valentino and David, who I know well, possess that in spades. They are students of the best ideas and the highest standards, and they bring inspired thinking and execution to everything they touch.”
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Denise Godreau
Chief Marketing Officer
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment
“The Blue Orchid team have been brilliant partners and visionaries in bringing Atlantis to life beyond anything that has ever been done before. I have been so proud of all the work and how not only the entirety of the brand, but the excellence of the Atlantis team, completely transformed. I continue to believe in The Bahamas, the incredible culture and the people I have met over the last 15 years. It would be an honour to cross paths again in the future.”
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Lauren Snyder
Chief Marketing Officer
Atlantis Resorts
“I had the pleasure of working with the principals of Blue Orchid on a large hospitality project - Baha Mar. They would dream big, but the execution matched the dream and the results always exceeded my expectations. They offered smart recommendations and those ideas led to results that fueled the growth of the organization.”
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Alyssa Bushey
Vice President
Rock Orange
“We didn’t choose Blue Orchid to work with us because they were local and available. We chose Blue Orchid because they were the very best, anywhere, to fulfill our needs. Passionate, creative, nimble, business savvy and collaborative. As a business leader, those are the traits I look for in any team member, internal or external.”
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Howard Karawan
President & MD
Atlantis Resorts
“Thank you Blue Orchid for your infectious energy, creativity and passion. In the course of 2016, working together in true team spirit, we were able to significantly strengthen CBL’s position with “Who You Callin’ Light,” followed by Kalik Platinum - The Bahamas #1 party beer and supporting Kalik Regular with “Dis Is How We K’lik. The Addy Award for Best Social Media Campaign was truly well-deserved!”
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Katarzyna Malczewska
Marketing Director
Commonwealth Brewery Ltd.
“The team at Blue Orchid is incredibly creative and talented. They support the airport’s social media program and play a vital role in rebranding the airport. Their strategic marketing counsel has been invaluable. Thank you Blue Orchid!”
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Jan Knowles
VP Marketing & Communications
Nassau Airport Development
“I struggled for years to find a firm that truly understands the Cacique International brand. Local companies did not have the creativity or professionalism and international companies lacked the local insight. In Blue Orchid, I finally found a company that “gets it”, who understands the complexity of my business and is able to tell the “Cacique Story” through unique creative deliverables, combined with an effective marketing strategy. Thanks to Blue Orchid, I have seen my brand flourish and my numbers grow.”
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Shawn M. Sawyer
Creative Director & President
Cacique International Ltd.
“Blue Orchid’s work has made a significant difference in our business. It increased our online traffic, helped build our brand and reach our target audience. The Blue Orchid team’s ability to showcase our food and the story connected to our food enables guests to immerse themselves into our product before stepping into the restaurant.”
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Monica Hutchinson
Executive Chef & Culinary Producer
Lukka Kairi
“The Blue Orchid team is very professional and committed to giving the best work. It is notable how they strive to thoroughly understand your objectives so that their work meets your expectations and target market to provide the absolute best marketing results. Most of all, their quality of work produced is of the highest standards. We will continue to recommend Blue Orchid.”
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Heather Saunders
Chief Executive Officer
X-Press It | Blue Postal