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It鈥檚 not the ad campaign Ocean City鈥檚 official cheerleaders thought they would be running right now.
But a global pandemic has forced people to avoid gathering in groups. And what is OC 鈥� with its throngs of sweaty beachgoers, fistfuls of french fries and all-night Coastal Highway revelers 鈥� if not the ultimate group experience?
So, just six weeks out from the Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial kickoff of summer, the resort is adapting. In a nod to circumstance, Ocean City leaders have launched a media campaign unlike any they鈥檝e ever run.
Called 鈥淲e鈥檒l Be Here,鈥� the town鈥檚 new 30-second television spot features aerial video of the beach.
A sunny but decidedly empty beach.
鈥淥cean City, Maryland, isn鈥檛 the same without you,鈥� an announcer says. 鈥淏ut rest assured, when it鈥檚 finally time to come out again, we鈥檒l be here waiting.鈥�
鈥淭he lifeguards and the tram drivers. The folks making french fries and funnel cakes. The waiters and waitresses. The guys running skee ball and mini golf. The hotel clerks and the T-shirts vendors. We鈥檙e all excited to see you, but until then, stay healthy.鈥�
In other words, come to Ocean City. But not now.
鈥淲e鈥檙e a host community. And they鈥檙e doing what a host community should do,鈥� said former mayor James C. Mathias about the campaign.
鈥淧ublic safety has always been our number one priority. We put the safety of our visitors and our residents first. And this is an unprecedented time.鈥�
Right now, Ocean City鈥檚 famous beaches and boardwalk are closed to everyone but year-round residents. Hotels and rental housing units are closed for business, except for health care professionals, first responders, law enforcement, National Guard members, state or federal government employees, journalists, others responding to COVID-19, victims of domestic violence, or full-time residents who, for whatever reason, are temporarily unable to live in their homes.
These restrictions are due to last until at least April 30.
It wasn鈥檛 that long ago that Maryland鈥檚 fabled beach town was airing intentionally cheesy TV spots that featured 鈥淩odney,鈥� a buff lifeguard who ran around 鈥渞escuing鈥� sad-sack commuters and office workers from boredom.
鈥淚鈥檓 out to rescue the entire East Coast and bring 鈥榚m to Ocean City, Maryland,鈥� he yelled in one ad. 鈥淟et鈥檚 go, people, we need to get you to Ocean City.鈥�
An announcer then described OC as 鈥渁 whole lot more fun than whatever you鈥檙e doing right now.鈥�
Things aren鈥檛 so fun in the town right now.
Numerous events that would have attracted large off-season crowds have been cancelled or postponed. And no one knows when people will be able to vacation at the beach.
Because of the resort鈥檚 short season and heavy reliance on tourism, the financial news service 24/7 Wall Street recently predicted that Worcester County would be among the nation鈥檚 hardest hit by the drop in economic activity.
鈥淎s non-essential travel has been effectively eliminated in an attempt to contain the coronavirus pandemic, many of the 9,000 jobs in the leisure and hospitality industry in the country are at risk,鈥� the site reported.
鈥淎s of January, the county鈥檚 unemployment rate of 10.9% was already among the highest in the country. The economic toll caused by the coronavirus will almost certainly push unemployment even higher.鈥�
Almost 40% of the county鈥檚 workforce works in 鈥渉igh-risk鈥� industries.
Under the circumstances, state Sen. Mary Beth Carrozza (R-Lower Shore), who represents Ocean City, calls the current ad campaign 鈥渙utstanding,鈥� and says, 鈥渢hey really capture the spirit of Ocean City.鈥�
鈥淥ur small business owners are working hard to welcome everyone back to Ocean City,鈥� Carrozza said. 鈥淲e understand it will be a phased-in approach to reopening with health, safety, sanitary and social distancing protocols in place.鈥�
Carrozza predicted that when travel restrictions are lifted, families will want to return 鈥渢o a place of comfort.鈥�
But officials and business leaders are well aware of the financial perils of the pandemic.
Although it is home to just a few thousand permanent residents, Ocean City鈥檚 population swells to around 330,000 during summer weekends. Around 8 million people visit each year. And they buy a lot of funnel cake.
One restaurant owner told the Salisbury Daily Times that business is off more than 80% and that he has had to let some of his employees go. He called the last few weeks 鈥渁 rollercoaster.鈥�
Mathias, the former mayor 鈥� and a former state senator 鈥� has lived in the town for 50 years.
He said his mentor, the late Gov. William Donald Schaefer (D), would have appreciated the 鈥淲e鈥檒l Be Here鈥� campaign.
鈥淕overnor Schaefer taught me about appreciation,鈥� Mathias said. 鈥淵ou make sure the people who come there know how much they鈥檙e appreciated,鈥� the legendary pol advised.
鈥淵ou take care of the basics, son,鈥� Schaefer added, according to Mathias. 鈥淎nd this is the basics.鈥�
