Turnabout may be fair play (after all, Salt Lake City isn't exactly known for its "jazz"), but for the last two years, the Hornets were in the awkward position of playing the vast majority of their home games in front of rabid, starved-for-a-pro-team crowds that knew the team wasn't going to stay. (League commissioner David Stern said so.)

The six New Orleans home games averaged only 822 fewer fans, but prior to Katrina, the Hornets were barely drawing in a town that has more ways to spend an entertainment dollar than it has ways to prepare crawfish.

"I find it telling that no one in these spots looks like they'd be a basketball fan," says Bethlehem Shoals, founder of the popular N.B.A. blog FreeDarko. "They're older, some are artsy, and they exude nothing resembling fan energy, but the campaign is practical, not cynical. People just don't get that excited about the N.B.A., whereas appealing to the spirit of New Orleans can't help but strike a nerve."

The Hornets have local campaigns to get people in the seats, and so far, the team has sold 6,000 full-season packages; the target is 10,000 by the end of the season. "This is traditionally a last-minute town when it comes to buying Hornets tickets," team spokesman Michael Thompson says, "so we feel confident that we'll reach our goal."

Local public-relations executive Marc Ehrhardt, of the Ehrhardt Group (which works with the Hornets), says he believes that even if there isn't a direct correlation between the ad spots and ticket sales, the commitment to the community ensures that the team will be embraced.

On a pragmatic level, the high-profile Hornets brought more than 100 employees back to a city starved for corporate money. And on an esoteric level, the franchise is letting it be known that they want to play a major part in the rebuilding and recovery of the city.

"Success down here is built on relationships," says Ehrhardt. "These spots are New Orleanians telling stories about the city, the way that we tell stories at my mama's house."

The Hornets have incorporated a number of hometown touches in their "Passion + Purpose + Pride" campaign, including a new fleur-de-lis patch on the uniform.

The 2007-08 season should be a success in the "beautiful monster" of New Orleans—as one video participant puts it—because of the natural excitement of having the team back, because of the scintillating 2006 Rookie of the Year Chris Paul, and because the Big Easy is playing host to the N.B.A. All-Star game in February.

"People rally around tragedies and sports teams," says Biggers. Over the long haul, the Hornets need to have one without the other.

It remains to be seen what kind of impact "Don't Count Out New Orleans" will have, but one thing is for certain: The Hornets tip off the regular season against the Sacramento Kings on October 31 with "Halloween at the Hive," a pre-game block party featuring trick-or-treating, a costume contest and $1 beers.

Opening night tickets are still available.