We love our Ohio friends and constantly joke about them on our social media. If you are unaware as to why we do this, well, we certainly didn’t start it. The folks at Island Communications over on Hilton Head actually started it with an article many years ago, and they published it to let folks know why they’ll see Ohio everywhere, and the history behind it all.
So let’s look at the real reason as to why Ohioans love Hilton Head, and the rest of Beaufort County, and why “you will see Ohio license plates even in your sleep.”
If you live here, you know the old jokes. There are more Ohio license plates than there are South Carolina plates. Ohioans in packed minivans going 15 miles an hour down 278 (and 21). And, you’ve heard that Hilton Head is actually “Southern Ohio.”
It’s popular for Clevelanders, Columbusers, Cincinnatians, Akronites and Toledoans, and, well just about everyone from the Buckeye State.
So, what’s the deal? Why do Ohioans love Hilton Head Island (and the rest of Beaufort County)?
We’ll have to relive some Hilton Head history, starting with Charles Fraser.
Fraser was an American real estate developer whose vision helped transform South Carolina’s Hilton Head Island from a sparsely populated sea island into a world-class resort.
He developed the land that eventually became Sea Pines, creating a groundbreaking style of real estate development. Fraser built with a reverence and respect for the natural environment.
Back in the 1970s, Charles Fraser asked his Sea Pines marketing team come up with a strategy to target landlocked states.
The idea was to spread the word to states like Ohio to see how beautiful Hilton Head is. The marketing team wanted people to come here on vacation and ultimately buy real estate.
It was called “the Ohio Strategy.”
The Sea Pines’ crew knew Ohioans were looking for quality beaches that were easily accessible by Interstate highways. So, they ran an influx of advertisements in Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland and Toledo.
It worked, and families started coming in droves during the summer.
And every summer, the legacy lives on
Buckeyes pack the beaches, restaurants, shops and villas. Generations of Ohio families make their yearly pilgrimage to golf, bike and beach and boat. It is easy to get to (Beaufort County). From Ohio, it is a straight 10-12 hour drive down I-77.
Although long-time locals joke about the annual Buckeye invasion, Hilton Head Island (and the rest of Beaufort County) gladly welcome it.
Ohioans are important to our economy, as a tourism is our number one income. Tourist shops offer Buckeye Beach Bum T-shirts and stickers. And Salty Dog gear flies off the shelves, bought by vacationers to take home with them. Not to mention, they take home memories of their week in paradise.
Originally published by Island Communications at HiltonHeadIsland.com and republished with permission by ExploreBeaufortSC.com
