What's The Hello Kitty Craze? by Aiden Zylman
Hello Kitty, among other various Sanrio characters, has become more and more popular over the recent years. Hello Kitty is a fictional character that was created by Yuko Shimizu. The character is currently designed by Yuko Yamaguchi and is owned by a Japanese company called Sanrio. According to Sanrio, Hello Kitty is an anthropomorphized white cat that always wears a red bow and has no visible mouth. The character is said to live in a suburb of London with her family.
Hello Kitty was created in 1974, and in 1975, the brand introduced its first product, a vinyl coin purse. The initial target audience for Hello Kitty was pre-teenage girls, but later on, starting in the 1990s, the brand found commercial success among teenage and adult consumers as well. The rise of kawaii (cute) culture also contributed to the brand's popularity.
Although Hello Kitty’s popularity declined in Japan after the 1990’s, it continued to grow in the international market. In 2010, the brand's value was estimated to be $5 billion per year, and The New York Times even referred to Hello Kitty as a “global marketing phenomenon.” By the time Hello Kitty reached 40 years old in 2014, her annual value had increased to approximately $8 billion.
UNICEF has appointed Hello Kitty as a children's ambassador and the Japanese government has also appointed her as an ambassador of tourism. There are even Hello Kitty theme parks such as Harmonyland, Sanrio Puroland, and Hello Kitty Shanghai Times. The Hello Kitty media franchise includes a number of animated series aimed at children, as well as several comics, music albums, video games, and other media productions. Over the years, a variety of products have featured the character, including school supplies, clothing, accessories, and toys, among others. In 2008 alone, there were 50,000 different Hello Kitty branded products available in the market. No matter where you look, you’ll find some type of Hello Kitty item.
Hello Kitty was created in 1974, and in 1975, the brand introduced its first product, a vinyl coin purse. The initial target audience for Hello Kitty was pre-teenage girls, but later on, starting in the 1990s, the brand found commercial success among teenage and adult consumers as well. The rise of kawaii (cute) culture also contributed to the brand's popularity.
Although Hello Kitty’s popularity declined in Japan after the 1990’s, it continued to grow in the international market. In 2010, the brand's value was estimated to be $5 billion per year, and The New York Times even referred to Hello Kitty as a “global marketing phenomenon.” By the time Hello Kitty reached 40 years old in 2014, her annual value had increased to approximately $8 billion.
UNICEF has appointed Hello Kitty as a children's ambassador and the Japanese government has also appointed her as an ambassador of tourism. There are even Hello Kitty theme parks such as Harmonyland, Sanrio Puroland, and Hello Kitty Shanghai Times. The Hello Kitty media franchise includes a number of animated series aimed at children, as well as several comics, music albums, video games, and other media productions. Over the years, a variety of products have featured the character, including school supplies, clothing, accessories, and toys, among others. In 2008 alone, there were 50,000 different Hello Kitty branded products available in the market. No matter where you look, you’ll find some type of Hello Kitty item.