This is the story of two cities. In fact, it’s a spring break marketing campaign based on two reality TV shows.
After last year’s viral “breakup,” Miami Beach doubled with another tongue PSA. 90-second “Spring Break Reality Check” spoofing. The actor portrays a group of friends in Spring Breakers, separate from the drama with strict rules, curfews and $100 parking fees.
“I’m back in Miami Beach… not spring break,” says the actor.
But a few miles north of Fort Lauderdale, there is love in the air. of seeds.
“Fort Lauderdale, you sound so much fun,” says the woman from the “Love is Blind” date show parody in the city of Fort Lauderdale. “Sun. Party. The best spring break of my life. I know it’s only been 40 seconds, but I might be in love.”
She speaks with an anthropomorphized orange surfboard with trenches of blonde hairs speaking on Gen Alpha Internet Slang. “Everyone loves me. Beach. Nightlife. says surfboards in Fort Lauderdale.
Two major spring break destinations in South Florida present a significantly different message to breakers this spring. Miami Beach is sticking to a big breakup, but Fort Lauderdale says it’s welcome as long as the spring breakers act right.
“Come for fun, but don’t forget to play by the rules,” Fort Lauderdale Police Department Chief William Schultz said in the video. “Love may be blind, but we’re watching.”
The two social media campaigns are thematically similar, but a Fort Lauderdale spokesperson said the city’s video was not inspired by Miami Beach videos. However, a light-hearted Tiktok video posted by Broward’s sheriff’s office references a messy farewell while providing safe tips.
“Miami has broken up with you, but we’re here, the video representative says.
Fort Lauderdale officials say it’s not clear whether the spring breaker that went to Miami Beach is heading for Fort Lauderdale instead. According to what the city received last year, about 2,650,000 visitors are expected to come to Fort Lauderdale in March this year, according to what it was receiving.
“Always Miami Beach – I spoke with my peers and cohorted there – they still have a high population for spring break. Schultz said at a press conference last week: “I’m not sure if they’ve received individuals who have come to Fort Lauderdale for their campaign.”
However, duel marketing campaigns highlight the differences in reputation of both cities as spring break destinations. Fort Lauderdale is generally considered a relatively relaxed spring break destination compared to South Beach. The decision to shut down spring break in Miami Beach came after incidents of stamps, fights and fatal shootings have been headlined over the past few years.
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To say goodbye to Miami Beach during spring break, Miami Beach has implemented strict rules and restrictions for drinkers rolled this year. The city will close several parking garages and ground lots, charge a flat rate of $100 in other garages, charge a towing fee of $516 for non-residents, and install license plate readers and DUI checkpoints.
In comparison, the rules at Fort Lauderdale are not particularly strict.
Fort Lauderdale has implemented similar rules than last year. A ban on coolers, tents, electric scooters, amplified music and alcohol on the beach offers several transport accommodations to spring breakers. The city is encouraging visitors to download the ride circuit app, request a micromover, and request a free drive on Las Olas and the beach. Parking at Barrier Island costs $4 per hour.
“This is a great time for Fort Lauderdale to shine,” Mayor Dean Trantalis said at the meeting. “Of course, Fort Lauderdale is known for its spring break season, but it also continues to express itself as a safe and fun place for kids to come, enjoy a break from studying and get away a little from an environment that may be 20 degrees.”
Fort Lauderdale parted ways during spring break
Competing Spring Break marketing campaigns show how the role of South Florida’s top two spring break destinations has been reversed.
In the 70s and 80s, Fort Lauderdale had a reputation as a wild spring break destination where Miami Beach was about to drop out.
Fort Lauderdale’s origins as a spring break destination date back to the 1960 film Where The Boys Are. Over the next decades, a horde of white college students flocked to the strip, piling up at the A1A stretch between Las Olas and Sunrise Boulevard, and then at the motel. Chaos, bikini contests, public drunks, beach concerts, dance parties and street brawls continued.
The spring breaker destroyed the motel room, so the business owner didn’t mind the renovation. The newspaper reported on university students appearing at a court hearing on bathing suits and mountain climbing street poles. The city officials were sufficient.
“In the ’80s, we overrun with our kids,” said Ina Lee, president of Travelhost Fort Lauderdale. She was part of the task force to solve the problems of spring break.
That was when Fort Lauderdale broke up its own during spring break. It launched an aggressive PR campaign that warns university students that police will strictly enforce the law and arrest them. The new rules ruined the fun. Open alcohol containers (thanks to the law of 1985), no 10 people packed into motel rooms, no street parties providing services to people under the age of 21.
Fort Lauderdale once said that it wasn’t all freedom, Lee said.
The area was devastated and it took decades to reinvigorate Fort Lauderdale Beach with what it is today, a year-round tourist destination with luxury hotels. Ultimately, spring break evolved into a “spring break season,” Lee said it would begin in March and continue into summer.
Is Fort Lauderdale an indicator of the future of Miami Beach? Lee is unsure, especially since the situation in Fort Lauderdale in the ’80s was very different from what we’re in Miami Beach today.
Despite throwing away a rough reputation, it still requires a lot of time, effort and investment, she said. That’s how Fort Lauderdale did it and it seems to have worked.
“The destination speaks for itself,” Lee said. “It’s become a thriving destination all year round. We have a lot of offerings. Spring break is part of that.”
