You can't market aloha spirit

By Lee Cataluna
Advertiser Staff Writer

Last year, while in L.A., I went to see a production of the play "Leilani's Hibiscus." I went really wanting to like it, really excited about the idea of a little slice of Hawai'i in downtown Los Angeles.

But one thing irked me like a kiawe thorn in a rubber slipper: There were no hibiscus flowers, real or otherwise, on the stage. Not in the actors' hair, not on the set, only in the title. It was "in name only." There were lots of orchids, however.

I guess the thought was, "same difference" or "nobody will notice." It was a small matter, but the kind of thing that keeps a well-intentioned effort from really shining.

Which brings me to May Day.

This past Tuesday, about 31,000 lei were sent to 18 cities around the world, courtesy of the Hawai'i Visitors and Convention Bureau.

The idea was to share Hawai'i's tradition of May Day around the world, to spread a little aloha, but mostly, to try to attract more visitors to Hawai'i's hotels.

Many of the flowers for the 31,000 lei came not from Hawai'i, but from Thailand. According to HVCB, this was done with us guys in mind. They wanted to make sure Hawai'i had enough flowers for May Day, so they didn't dip too far into the local supply.

This could very well be true, or it could have been more a cost concern, but in any case, the flower leis that hung around the necks of Rosie O'Donnell's TV show audience on Tuesday were supposed to be from Hawai'i but they kind of weren't from Hawai'i. A small matter, a tiny thorn in the slipper, but just the sort of thing that our visitor industry lets slide enough times to keep us locals rolling our eyes.

The bigger annoyance, though, is the use, or misuse, of the word "aloha" in this whole marketing campaign.

Isn't aloha supposed to be unconditional? Isn't a "gift of aloha" necessarily without expectation of anything in return? How, then, is a flower lei given with the hope of getting someone to buy a plane ticket and book a hotel room a "gift of aloha."

Just semantics? Perhaps to some, but we say over and over that Hawai'i's aloha spirit is the best thing about these islands, even more splendid than the scenery, even more beautiful than the beaches. If we believe this, shouldn't we be more careful with what we're labeling "aloha"? The idea of selling or marketing aloha is exactly the opposite of what aloha is supposed to be.

Not that the lei idea was a bad one. Not at all. It certainly garnered media attention and as far as promotional events go, it seems to have a certain measure of creativity and sincerity to it.

But "a gift of aloha to the world" is sending canned goods to Bosnia, not handing out leis in New York to promote an industry. There is a difference. Let's hope that difference still matters.

Lee Cataluna's column runs Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Send e-mail to lcataluna@honoluluadvertiser.com