When publicity expert John Lodwick arrived in St. Petersburg in 1918, he believed attracting visitors required more than traditional advertising. It required imagination. During the late 1920s, as Florida’s land boom faded, Lodwick looked for creative ways to keep the Sunshine City in newspapers across the country.
One of his most memorable ideas was the fictional St. Petersburg Purity League. With the mayor playing along, the make-believe group claimed to oppose modern swimsuits worn by women on local beaches. Lodwick even staged mock “inspections” of beachgoers, knowing the unusual story would capture the attention of wire services. Newspapers nationwide picked it up, giving St. Petersburg publicity that conventional advertisements could never match.
It was all done with a sense of humor, and the stunt succeeded in keeping the city in the national spotlight. Lodwick understood that people remembered stories more than slogans, and his imaginative promotions helped shape St. Petersburg’s reputation as a fun, welcoming destination.
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