^{Hornets center Tyson Chandler, left, and forward Hilton Armstrong were among the New Orleans players pitching in on disaster relief last month.}

^{Photograph by: Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images}

The campaign debuted on YouTube the first week of October and the response from locals has been overwhelming, according to the Hornets. The team's commitment to attracting the at-large business community seems legit, as the only call-to-action on the homepage is a phone number for companies interested in corporate sponsorships.

And as for attracting tourist dollars that keep New Orleans buzzing, the tone of the spots doesn't whitewash the realities of New Orleans (like, say, this Visa ad), but it doesn't dwell on them either. It's a fine line to tread, considering that many potential visitors are turned off from so-called "tragedy fatigue."

University of New Orleans associate marketing professor Pamela Kennett-Hensel, Ph.D., says that many local business owners struggle with the ongoing question of, "When do we stop playing the Katrina card?"

This is why the heart of this campaign is resiliency and strength, not broken levees, divisive politics, and well-worn clips of the drowning city. "A lot of citizens have told me they find it refreshing that it isn't woe-is-me Katrina footage," says Hornets president Hugh Weber.

"Don't Count Out New Orleans" utilizes snippets of personal narratives to paint the bigger picture, and developing as much goodwill within the community as possible makes good short-term business sense for the Hornets.

After abandoning Charlotte in 2002, owner George Shinn already had a reputation as a carpetbagger before embarking on an unplanned successful stint in Oklahoma City following Katrina.