Travel posters have always invited us to discover dream destinations. Take a look at some of the most appealing art prints inspired by surfing in Hawaii.
The first colorful ads promoting flights to Waikiki, Honolulu, and the volcanic islands emerged in the 1920s and, since then, brands made sure consumers got the message.
The first companies to use surf-related travel posters were airline companies. They wanted to convince an emerging middle class to discover the exotic Pacific Ocean islands.
These powerful communication tools often included surfing references, but they also featured the enchanting power of the hula, the white sands, the beach boys, and the aloha spirit.
If you were looking for sun, flowers, smiles, and perfect waves, Hawaii was the only place to be.
Today, these advertising materials may look nothing but naive, vintage posters and art prints that help decorate contemporary office walls.
But these pictures also reveal how Hawaii promoted its charming secrets to the world - they're historical visual artworks from an offline era when even landline telephones were rare.
Last but not least: the promotion of Hawaii as a unique and unforgettable surfing destination owes a lot to the tireless work of Duke Kahanamoku.
In and out of the water.
You can almost imagine the "Big Kahuna" riding the Waikiki rollers in these stunning surf travel posters...
