A series of "Where's George?" advertisements comically depicting George Washington at the shore will be part of Cape May County's America's 250th tourism campaign. (Courtesy of Cape May County)
Did George Washington pack the sunscreen, a beach chair and a cooler for a side trip to the Jersey Shore when he crossed the Delaware River in 1776?
Cape May County is enlisting the father or our country in a humorous twist to a $100,000 marketing campaign designed to entice visitors to the shore during the nation’s 250th birthday celebration this summer.
The campaign will launch in June and continue through the peak summer tourism season under the banner, "Celebrate America's 250th in Cape May County. All Season Long. Every Shore Town. One Celebration."
The campaign playfully invites visitors to the shore with the tagline, "George Washington crossed the Delaware, why don't you?"
It will include a series of “Where’s George?” advertisements comically depicting a white-haired, George Washington-like figure surfing, lounging on the beach, riding in a surrey cart on the Boardwalk and enjoying other activities at the shore.
Cape May County is committing $107,671 of its $257,000 annual advertising budget, or about 42 percent, toward the 250th anniversary marketing campaign.
The stakes are high. The greater Philadelphia region is projected to draw 3.5 million visitors this summer for the FIFA World Cup, the MLB All-Star Game and the America 250 celebration, with the 250th alone expected to generate $2.5 billion in regional economic impact, according to a county news release.
Cape May County Tourism Director Diane Wieland explained that the county’s marketing campaign positions the shore communities to capture a share of that traffic.
The beaches in Sea Isle City and elsewhere in Cape May County' will be a hotspot for summer tourists.The campaign’s messaging in June will build early awareness of Cape May County tourism through broadcast and streaming TV, digital video, mobile geo-targeting at sports stadiums and hotels and trip-planning public relations.
In July, the campaign will shift to "Peak America 250," with July 4 serving as the headline moment. There will also be billboards placed in feeder markets and continued geo-targeting to convert in-market visitors into extended stays in Cape May County.
The campaign targets families, couples and multigenerational groups ages 36 to 70 with household incomes between $75,000 and $150,000, the news release said.
Based on Cape May County’s 2025 visitor survey, the campaign concentrates on tapping greater Philadelphia, north and central New Jersey, New York, the Baltimore to Washington, D.C., corridor, northern Virginia and Connecticut. Those markets place roughly 30 million potential visitors within an easy drive.
"This plan unites our 16 shore towns in a season-long celebration of America's 250th anniversary," Cape May County Board of Commissioners Director Leonard Desiderio said of the marketing campaign. "Pairing the energy of FIFA and the All-Star Game with our historic Jersey Cape attractions, we expect strong visitation and meaningful economic growth while honoring our shared American heritage."
The performance of the campaign will be tracked through impressions, reach, engagement, video completion, website traffic and referrals, with real-time adjustments and a post-season report to follow, the county said.
Separately, Cape May County announced last week that it will share nearly $250,000 in grant funding with its 16 municipalities for 250th celebrations in each community this summer.
The events will include parades, historic reenactments, the reading of the Declaration of Independence, old-fashioned fireworks displays, modern drone shows and more.
For more information about Cape May County’s Celebrate America 250 events, visit capemaycountynj.gov or contact the Department of Tourism at [email protected].
Patriotic-themed bike parades like this one on the Fourth of July in Ocean City will be part of Cape May County's 250th celebration. (Photo courtesy of Ocean City)
