In “Alfred Nobel’s Karlskoga”, Sweden, the municipality has placed its most famous former resident at the heart of its economic development strategy. Through an in-depth qualitative case study, we examine the tensions and complexities surrounding this process and fill an existing research gap around personality-based place-branding for regional development purposes. The findings suggests that even with a world-famous figure as talisman, personality-based place branding is a complex endeavor, where old rivalries, tightknit social structures and economic dependencies makes us question – is it even possible to build a brand which is both inclusive and truly representative of a place?