"Almost single-handedly revived Hawaii’s television and film industry.”
April Masini Forged a First-of-Its-Kind Cross-Promotion Between Universal Studios and Hawaii
Never before had a studio agreed to advertise a film location along with the actual movie.
But that is precisely what happened between Universal Studios and Hawaii, thanks to the unstoppable April Masini.
When Universal Studios released Blue Crush in 2002, it wasn’t just a surf movie. It was a powerful global advertisement for Hawaii.
Shot on location on Oʻahu’s North Shore, the film showcased the islands’ raw natural beauty, surf culture, and local talent on a worldwide stage.
But beyond the stunning visuals, what made Blue Crush especially important to Hawaii was how Universal Studios integrated the state’s identity into the film’s global marketing campaign.
April Masini Brings Hawaii Perpetual Benefits
Today, the U.S. Department of Commerce promotes Hawaii with the Blue Crush stills and film footage, which April’s deal with Universal gave to Hawaii, in perpetuity.
Hawaii secured unprecedented and perpetual rights to Universal’s Blue Crush marketing assets, including star interviews, trailers, stills, and film clips, delivering record-breaking promotional value to the state in both scope and global reach.
From Hollywood’s perspective, it was unique, inventive, and unprecedented.
For Hawaii, it was (and remains) record-breaking in its scope, demographic reach, magnitude of marketing power, and overall marketing value delivered to the state.
April Masini on the Morning Blend
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