Hawaiian Electric
revisits ’80s song
for new commercials

The spots have the utility's phones ringing with ratepayers who call to say they recognize the music, but can't quite place it, according to Peter Rosegg, senior communications consultant.

The song, "Hawaiian Electric," was composed and performed by West Coast-based jazz group Hiroshima specifically for the company's advertising campaign in the 1980s. It was also on the band's fifth album, called "Go," which means five in Japanese.

The ditty is licensed to the utility for the campaign, said Daniel Markus, who manages the band.

The tune backs spots promoting conservation and efficient use of electricity.

"HECO is doing something few businesses ever do," Rosegg said. "Urging customers to buy less of what it sells."

"Rising demand for electricity is worrisome. While Oahu has enough generating capacity to meet demand under normal conditions, generating reserves are getting very, very thin, threatening the reliability of service," he said.

"We aren't saying 'emergency,' but 'urgency,'" said Chuck Freedman, vice president for corporate relations.

"Before, we whispered. With the new ads, we are shouting, though in a very cool way."

At the same time, Hawaiian Electric is proposing to build a 100-megawatt power plant at Campbell Industrial Park in 2009.

In the TV spot, a girl pretends to blow out an electric candle. The commercial will be followed by radio and print ads, all created by advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather Hawaii.

The band Hiroshima was excited to rework the song for the conservation campaign.

"Our connection with Hawaii is so important to us ... we thought it would be helping to protect the islands," band member Dan Kuramoto said.

The original song was changed slightly and now includes work by local boy Kimo Cornwell, the band's keyboard player.

Band member June Kuramoto was featured in the original spot, in which the strings of her koto had been switched to fiber-optic for the shoot, so they could appear to become electrified, said Dan Kuramoto. June Kuramoto does not appear in the new spot.

The original spots also featured HECO crew wearing rain gear, chain sawing branches away from power lines during a rainy, blustery night.

Did HECO pay royalties for use of the song?

"No," Dan Kuramoto laughed, "but it was more than worth it to us because it gave us the opportunity to become very popular in Hawaii." "Go" became the band's second gold record.

Since then, celebrity chef Ming Tsai has used Hiroshima's "One World" from its "LA" album as the theme song for the former Food Network show "East Meets West."

"Food Network doesn't pay residuals either. There's a pattern here," Kuramoto laughed.

Hiroshima has composed original music for Tsai's other shows as well as entertainment productions not relating to food.

However, Kuramoto said, "Our band is all about food. We'll go anywhere for food -- especially great food."

"It isn't about the money when you do commercials; it's about connecting with the community, with real people."

The jazz musicians that Hawaii adopted as its own in the 1980s are hoping to return soon -- for gigs and food.