The Scenario
For hundreds of years the inhabitants of Hawaii, along with scientists around the world, believed that the native Hawaiian people were an isolated group with a history limited to the Hawaiian Islands. In 1983, a small band of Micronesian descendants set out to prove them all wrong. Their goal was to re-create the route most likely followed by the early Micronesians and prove that these brave sailors could have made it over thousands of miles to Hawaii. Our task was to build awareness and interest in the journey — and to develop and execute the special celebration that was to be given at the journey’s end.

The Solution
Our client, an international energy company based in Honolulu, had offered to fund the mission. The Micronesian group, using materials available only to the ancient Micronesian population, constructed a sailing ship made out of balsa wood that replicated the original ship taken from early Micronesian drawings. While the design was quite forward-thinking for its time, it was still rudimentary at best. Migration patterns were reconstructed using primitive methods — primarily the stars, human anatomy and legends of the time.

We persuaded Hawaii Public Television to partner with us and film the journey. The event was a huge success, not only from the standpoint of the sailors who arrived at their destination, but because of the worldwide attention that the event created for the islands of Hawaii, the energy company and the Hawaiian people.