Wall Drug's Free Ice Water Empire

Wall Drug in Wall, South Dakota began as a struggling pharmacy in 1931 that attracted no customers until owner Ted Hustead put up signs along the highway offering free ice water to travelers crossing the dry Badlands. The signs worked immediately. Today Wall Drug has over 76,000 square feet of retail space, employs 225 people in the summer, and attracts roughly 2 million visitors per year, all drawn to a town of fewer than 800 people by one of the most aggressive and persistent billboard campaigns in American history. Signs advertising Wall Drug have been spotted in Europe, Africa, and Antarctica.

Source: Wikipedia