Look to the Source: Nānā I Ke Kumu
Olomana Loomis ISC partnered with Kamehameha Schools to create “Look to the Source: Nānā I Ke Kumu,” a culturally rich three-part video series spotlighting the intersection of Hawaiian heritage, local agriculture, and culinary innovation in Honolulu’s Our Kaka‘ako community. The campaign combined digital storytelling with live community engagement, celebrating the legacy of pa‘akai (salt) and locally sourced ingredients through the voices of chefs, farmers, and cultural practitioners.
Client and Sector
Kamehameha Schools, the landowner and community steward of Our Kakaʻako, is a nonprofit educational trust focused on Native Hawaiian advancement. The project focused on promoting the Our Kaka‘ako neighborhood, a mixed-use development in urban Honolulu, through a cultural and culinary lens.
Challenge
The objective was to reposition Our Kaka‘ako as a culturally grounded and community-focused neighborhood while increasing awareness of Hawaiian values, driving social media engagement, and attracting support from the food industry — all without predefined performance benchmarks as a new initiative.
Approach
Olomana Loomis ISC developed a three-episode video series hosted by local chef Mark “Gooch” Noguchi. The videos explored the cultural roots of pa‘akai and its use in local dishes, featuring interactions with salt farmers, chefs, and food producers. The Hawaiian concept “nānā i ke kumu” — to look to the source — guided the narrative, reinforcing the ties between land, culture, and cuisine.
Execution
Episodes were released via email, social media, a dedicated webpage, and a YouTube channel. Each video (6–8 minutes) featured immersive storytelling, including a traditional salt farm, seafood auction, and local farms. A premiere launch at SALT at Our Kaka‘ako gathered 65 guests, including influencers and stakeholders, for a live screening and Q&A. The campaign also secured sponsorship and support from Y. Hata & Co., Hawai‘i’s largest food service distributor.
Results
The video series resonated deeply with viewers. Over the course of its launch, “Look to the Source” reached more than 230,000 people across social media, with more than 2,200 link clicks to explore the content further. The accompanying webpage became an enduring resource on the cultural significance of pa‘akai and local cuisine.
Beyond digital metrics, the program was praised at the live premiere event, sparking new ideas for content and conversation among attendees. The campaign was also featured by major local media outlets including KITV4 and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, extending its visibility. Kamehameha Schools embraced the series as a new benchmark for cultural storytelling within Our Kaka‘ako, recognizing its impact in authentically connecting land, culture, and community.
