Another Honor For Spam Artist

spam shaka

Also referred to as “Hawaiian steak,” SPAM (a derivative of SPiced hAM) is iconic in the Islands. The Hawaii State Capitol honored Mililani resident Scott Kaneshiro, the art director for Madden Corporation, for his artwork titled “Shaka SPAM Musubi No Ka ‘Oi.”

Kaneshiro’s artwork was selected for the Special Hawaii Edition SPAM can label. The can portrays an outstretched hand in full shaka position holding a SPAM musubi on the front with iconic island images such as the state flag on the reverse side.

“I tried to throw a lot of Hawaii elements in there,” Kaneshiro explains. “The Hawaiian flag is important, so it was just a matter of finding a way to incorporate the SPAM. The SPAM musubi fits perfectly in the hand, and you can still have the shaka that’s recognizable.”

In addition to having his artwork displayed on cans around the state, Kaneshiro also won a $1,000 cash prize, 12 cases of SPAM and SPAM memorabilia including a Tshirt, slippers and a bag.

Kaneshiro entered the contest at the urging of his friends and thought it would be cool to have his design on the can.

“It feels really neat to see your design on such a popular product,” he said.

While SPAM is sold nationwide, Kaneshiro’s design is sold only in Hawaii.

The special edition cans went on sale at stores around the islands in August and have become a best-seller and collector’s item.

Kaneshiro’s artwork was chosen by a combination of public online voting and final Hormel brand management approval.