In the 1980s, Palm Coast’s national advertising campaign took an unexpected turn. Long before social media or influencer marketing, a familiar comic strip character helped introduce the community to millions of readers around the world.
A Community Chosen by a Comic Strip Icon
Palm Coast can proudly claim a unique relationship with America’s lazy, lovable feline Garfield. When ITT Development Corporation signed an exclusive agreement in 1985 with United Feature Syndicate to use Garfield to promote Palm Coast it was the first and only community among Garfield’s more than 220 licensees. Seven years earlier the mischievous lasagna-loving fat cat had debuted in 41 newspapers.
The cartoon’s creator, Jim Davis, grew up on a farm and decided to create a character based on the 25 felines he’d known as a child. He patterned the cat’s name and personality after his grandfather, James A. Garfield Davis, who the artist described as “a large, cantankerous man.”
By the time ITT signed the marketing agreement Davis’ Garfield comic strip had become the fastest growing in history appearing in over 1700 newspapers in 20+ countries with a potential audience of 100 million readers.
ITT-CDC’s vice-president of marketing at the time, Gerry Sorkin, explained the Garfield choice in an issue of the Palm Coaster magazine. “He’s popular, he’s funny…and he knows how to have a good time.” The message, soon splashed over 130 billboards, was Live The Good Life In Palm Coast. Davis produced 20 original drawings of GARFIELD golfing, swimming, boating, playing tennis and happily enjoying the many ways to have a good time in Palm Coast.
Source: Palm Coast Marketing Collection
Each billboard posed a single question, Rather Be Biking? … or Fishing? or Dining?
Marketing, Memorabilia, and a Lasting Connection
One of the most unique promotional items was the Garfield telephone, which was awarded to purchasers of a new home. This piece of historic memorabilia and other Garfield advertisements are on display at the Palm Coast Historical Society and Museum in Holland Park. The museum is FREE to all.
For information on rotating exhibits, upcoming events, membership rewards and more, please visit our Membership page. To help preserve Palm Coast’s legacy for future generations memberships are encouraged and begin at nominal annual fee.
As Davis explained, “Garfield never met a lasagna he didn’t like, but he’s a bit more particular with his Florida communities. Palm Coast is Garfield’s kind of place.”