Tempt me Tauranga model Rhys McCormick didn't even recognise himself looking back at the early 1990s photo of him; shot for a slogan campaign for the city.

Rhys is the model lying down in the front of the photo.

Rhys McCormick modelled for the Tempt me Tauranga campaign.

'My friend pointed the photo out to me, and I looked at the young guy, and then said ‘yip that's Jenny' and looked at the other guy. Then went back a second time and said ‘hey that's me'.

'I didn't even recognise myself.”

Back then the 16-year-old Tauranga Boys' College student was busy training for body building competitions when he got called in to model for the photo.

The Tempt me Tauranga campaign failed however; Rhys wasn't sure what it was exactly that was supposed to tempt people.

'I can't remember how it came about, but it obviously didn't work.

'I must have scared them off.”

He thinks the next slogan needs to incorporate the words, sun, surf and sand.

'Sun, surf and sand. Good times in Tauranga.”

Rhys now lives in Otumoetai and works as a quantity surveyor for Taylor Roofing in Tauranga.

He was a body builder for 10 years and represented New Zealand.

He still goes to the gym, but 'just for myself”, and says Tauranga is definitely still the best place to live.