For years Harper had run his own successful public-relations firm, staging predictable dumb stunts like putting a snow machine on the beach in January or mailing a ripe Florida orange to every human being in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. This was in the boom days of Miami and, in a way, Sparky Harper had been a proud pioneer of the shameless, witless boosterism that made Florida grow.
Harper was a successful public relations expert who created silly publicity stunts, such as installing a snow machine on the beach in winter or mailing oranges to people in remote Alaskan towns. These antics exemplified his knack for attention-grabbing but cheesy marketing schemes during Miami's boom years. His efforts contributed to the state's rapid growth fueled by flashy promotion.
Harper had been a proud pioneer of the shameless, witless boosterism that made Florida grow.
His work reflected the exaggerated, often superficial promotion that helped shape Florida’s reputation and expansion, even if it lacked substance. Harper's antics symbolize the era's trend of exploiting publicity for quick success, regardless of the long-term value or authenticity.
