Kara Keigan

Maui Jim started in 1980 as a no-frills operation selling sunglasses on the beach in Lahaina, Hawaii. They had set up on the pool decks of the resorts in Maui, offering respite to the sun for all the vacationers who had lost or forgotten their sunglasses.

It doesn’t take long in the Hawaiian sun to realize Maui is no place you want to be lacking protection for your eyes. The glare of the water and sand is heightened under the harsh sun, and many visitors realized normal sunglasses just wouldn’t do the trick.

Maui Jim created a lens that would offer full UV protection, polarized lenses that would ward off the glare, in addition to revolutionary lenses that would enhance colors naturally perceived by the eye, bringing the brilliant colors of the island to life.

Referencing that color and light are key parts of the human experience, their sunglasses focus on showing off the full spectrum. On the brand’s website, they claim…

“The harsh glare of the Hawaiian sun is what inspired us to design a lens that not only shields the eye, but also improves the color, clarity, and detail of the world around. Designed with your comfort in mind, our PolarizedPlus2® technology reduces the impact of the sun’s harsh glare while offering relief from a number of long-term health risks.”

(Source)

Their first customers on that pool deck would buy sunglasses, then would immediately start to show off to others how great the lenses were, becoming salesmen for this small setup. Because of this immediate positive response, they realized they had a product others loved (and really needed) as evidenced by the loyal following and natural word-of-mouth marketing.