Honolulu Cookie Company’s limited edition Moore Aloha Surfboard Tin and Decal — designed by University of Hawai‘i–West O‘ahu student Harper Okamoto and inspired by pro surfer Carissa Moore’s Moore Aloha Charitable Foundation — are now available for purchase, with 100% of net proceeds being donated to the UH West O‘ahu Creative Media program and the Moore Aloha Foundation.
The official launch of the products on Sept. 4 was followed by a celebration of the creative collaboration on Sept. 8 at Honolulu Cookie Company’s Hyatt Regency Waikiki retail store location. The special signing event featured both Okamoto — a spring 2024 graduate who received her Bachelor of Arts in Creative Media with a concentration in Design and Media — and Moore — surfing’s first Olympic gold medalist and five-time world surfing champion — autographing the new products. The products can be found in stores or online.
Harper’s winning design was the result of Honolulu Cookie Company teaming up with the UH West O‘ahu Creative Media program for a student packaging design contest, where students were prompted to create a design for the company’s Surfboard Tin inspired by Moore’s foundation.
Okamoto created a fun, bright design inspired by Moore Aloha and Honolulu Cookie Company’s mission to spread aloha, according to a press release from the company. Under the guidance of her professors, industry professionals, and like-minded creatives, Okamoto witnessed the product development process from conception to reality.
“I was inspired by the bright colors that are associated with Carissa’s brand and I wanted to incorporate some of those because they are so fun and friendly,” Okamoto said in the release. “For Honolulu Cookie Company, I used simple shapes to represent their message to warmly welcome anyone that comes to the islands and buys their product. I wanted to use something that gave the impression of the aloha spirit, but in a way that would get the message across to anyone even if they don’t speak the languages here.”
UH West O‘ahu Academy for Creative Media (ACM) alum ‘Ānela-Pōmaika‘i Mattson, a 2020 graduate who is now a senior marketing content specialist at Honolulu Cookie Company, played a significant role in it all.
Mattson organized the opportunity for the student packaging design contest together with the help of her team at Honolulu Cookie Company as a way to give back to the ACM program.
“The intention behind this contest was to provide an opportunity for current ACM students at UH West O‘ahu to challenge themselves creatively and gain experience on what it’s like to work with a local business,” Mattson said in a previous article.
Honolulu Cookie Company is committed to giving back to the community by supporting local arts and education programs, while empowering the next generation, according to the press release. Similarly, Moore Aloha aims to share love and aloha to grow a community of strong, confident, and compassionate women in the next generation.
“This collaboration highlights the common goals that Moore Aloha and Honolulu Cookie Company share,” Moore said in the release. “We’re excited to partner with a local business that everyone knows and loves, while providing unforgettable opportunities for the next generation to experience.”
