The Hawaiian community is never far from the hearts and minds of the SPAM® brand team. The special relationship that exists between the brand and the people in Hawaii spans decades, and the mutual love between the two sides is deep. With that in mind, the makers of the SPAM® brand are always exploring ways to further cultivate that bond and to say thank you to their fans in Hawaii.
In doing so, the SPAM® brand team — in partnership with accomplished Hawaiian artist Kamea Hadar — has developed a special limited-edition SPAM® Hawaiian Collectors Edition can, dedicated with love to the people of Hawaii. The can is now available at grocery retailers throughout the state of Hawaii, at the world-famous SPAM® Museum in Austin, Minnesota, and online, while supplies last.
“We wanted to show our fans in Hawaii how much we appreciate their love,” said Jennesa Kinscher, senior brand manager of the SPAM® brand. “We couldn’t think of a better way to showcase this connection than by partnering with a talented local artist to transform our iconic can to reflect the beautiful relationship between the SPAM® brand and Hawaii. We are so lucky that our local team was able to connect us with Kamea. He is an incredible artist with an authentic connection to the brand, and it’s been amazing to witness his vision for this collectors can come to life.”
Hadar, whose large-scale murals and installations can be found in cities around the world, wanted his design to stay true to the classic look of the SPAM® brand while also implementing a custom, Hawaiian twist. Hadar talks about his experience designing the can label here.
The front of the collectors can features a yellow hibiscus, the state flower of Hawaii, alongside a pink Lokelani rose, the official island flower of Maui. The Lokelani rose, shown in full bloom on the front of the can, was included to honor the heroic efforts of the people of Maui in response to the 2023 wildfires. On the back of the can, the same rose is shown in budding form, pointing to the full revival of Maui that is soon to come.
Said Hadar, “We added the Maui Lokelani rose onto the label, and that is a way for us to show that [the SPAM® brand] and the state of Hawaii — with our yellow hibiscuses, representing us, representing [the SPAM® brand] and the state of Hawaii — are surrounding the people of Maui and giving our love and aloha to them.”
After the wildfires broke out, the makers of the SPAM® brand responded with a donation of more than $1 million in cash and product to the affected areas, including more than five truckloads of SPAM® products — totaling over 264,000 cans — to help feed people in need. The brand team also began selling “SPAM® Brand Loves Maui” T-shirts in the wake of the wildfires. The proceeds, totaling $170,000, were donated to the Aloha United Way Fire Relief Fund to aid the recovery efforts in Maui.
The SPAM® brand team cherishes its special relationship with the people of Hawaii, a community that consumes more than 7 million cans of SPAM® products every year, more than any other U.S. state. The genesis of the islanders’ love for the SPAM® brand dates back to World War II, and SPAM® products have since become a staple of the local culture and cuisine.
For more information on the SPAM® brand, visit spam.com.
