THE SPAM REBRAND
Rebranding Project
Growing up with Hawaiian heritage, there were a couple important cultural aspects that I needed to know. And even as a "hapa haole" (or someone with white and Hawaiian ancestry), there is one thing that stands out and can be summed up in three words:
Spam is sacred.
(actual picture from our pantry at home right now)
Spam is eaten on everything, with anything, and at anytime. If you don't know already, Spam is canned cooked pork that is known for having a super, super long shelf life.
Quick History Lesson:
Spam can be traced back to World War II, when Spam was served as a lunch meat to GIs. During the war it was introduced into islands in the Pacific, and to this day, fried spam meat and rice is still a staple in Hawaiian diets. According to Spam's website, Hawaii eats seven million cans of SPAM products every year.
Spam was infused into Hawaiian culture specifically, and has many Americans rolling their eyes as to why an entire group of people would be so crazy about smushed meat in a can.
Glamorous, right?
Must be, because Spam just hit a record high for sales in December of 2021. With over $11 billion in full year sales, Spam is thriving as much as ever. So why is there so much shame revolving around Spam eaters?
Let's be honest here - as people are used to seeing the same stale design on grocery store shelves, they are led to think about, well, that.
Meat that looks like it came from everyone's lunch lady nightmares.
The truth of it all is that there are really great recipes for Spam - like teriyaki stir fry, different kinds of sandwiches, chow mien, kebabs, and the list goes on.
So as Spam approaches their 100 year anniversary,
Spam deserves branding that reflects the possibilities and flavors that can be made from a single can, and holds a legacy of Spam's growth.
So I decided to give Spam the much needed face lift that it deserves.
Bon Appetit.
Spam needs a rebrand.
