The Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce set up shop in Charlotte, North Carolina for the Democratic National Convention with one goal - to promote Myrtle Beach.
The advertisement they used? A 15 ton sand sculpture of President Barack Obama.
The structure cost upwards of $30,000, but Chamber President Brad Dean says every penny was worth it.
"We've handed out thousands of promotional pieces," said Dean. "And the buzz that it's gotten both during the start and now during the convention has just been huge."
Dean says the upkeep of the sand sculpture has been a labor of love. "We had prepared for inclement weather to have the sculptors stay on site, so they've been here doctoring it up a little bit. Right now the sculpture is in good condition, and it's getting as much attention as the president himself,"said Dean.
Several national news organizations have done stories about the sculpture including MSNBC, Huffington Post, and ABC News.
Myrtle Beach Mayor, John Rhodes said, "It's a great opportunity to have a tremendous crowd to come by and see what Myrtle Beach has to offer."
At the end of the day, Dean says the statue is not about political affiliation, but attracting more people to come and visit the Grand Strand.
"You know we figured out a way to marry politics and vacations into a fun and exciting way," said Dean. "Everybody here is so into the soundbites and the political stump speeches, I think they're actually enjoying talking about something other than politicians and what better way to talk about than a Myrtle Beach vacation."
The sand sculpture will be taken down by Friday morning at 3 a.m.
