Tampa-based creator of Lightning's 'Be the Thunder' campaign dies at 60

James Rosene, co-founder and creative director of EraserFarm, a marketing and ad agency based in Tampa, was referred to by his science-focused family as "the creative one" and by his business partner as a "bright light." 

After graduating from Arizona State University with a degree in business writing, he spent his professional life working for a handful of different agencies, In 2013 he founded EraserFarm with business partner Cindy Haynes. 

The pair met as co-workers at agency 22Squared in Tampa. “We just really enjoyed working with each other so much and then our lives went in different directions for a few years. And then he called me and he said, ‘You know, I think I'm really ready to go out on my own,’” says Haynes, “I said, ‘Yeah, me too. Let's do it.’”

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Rosene died Nov. 6 due to complications from diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG), an aggressive tumor of the brain stem that more commonly affects children. He was 60. 

Less than 2% of cases are diagnosed in adults. He was diagnosed four years ago and remained with the company in a capacity adjusted for his treatments until he was bought out by Haynes at the end of 2023. 

During his career, he worked as a copywriter, creative director and art director with a variety of popular corporate clients including Buffalo Wild Wings, Lincoln Financial Group, Publix and the Tampa Bay Lightning. It was with the Lightning where he created the noted "Be the Thunder" campaign for the 2011-2012 season that remains in use today. 

“The agency life is super tough, right? But he was a master at it. I feel like ideas and creativity just flowed from James,” says Haynes. “I think that was one of the many reasons that he was so appreciated by his supervisors and admired by those that looked up to him for guidance, where he was in essence mentoring.”

Haynes says that Rosene taught her patience. “ I think that that's one of the key attributes in advertising today. Sometimes it can take clients a minute to buy into something, or a minute to understand something. And he just had the patience of a saint.”

Despite the long hours demanded in the job, Haynes stresses he was a family man first and that ‘the role of husband and father was the most important role he ever had’. He is survived by his wife, Mary and three children Brandon, Ryan and Sophia, according to his obituary.

When not creating campaigns for the hockey team, he enjoyed playing ice hockey himself. According to his freelance website, two broken noses and 69 stitches ‘not all at once’ kept him from pursuing the game more often. 

After last year’s buyout, Haynes has charted the way forward for the agency they built together. “The work will go on, and we will make him proud every day with all of the projects that we continue to do and evolve and change and the new clients we win, and the roads that he paved for us in order to create the success that we have.”