Lady Gaga, Katty Perry and even Charles III are absolute fans of the “kawaii” character. Focus on the story of this character who continues to seduce and who continues to multiply collaborations over the years.
Hello Kitty, created in 1974 with her look of a little white cat with a red bow, is a global icon. His face appears on tens of thousands of products, from stuffed animals to backpacks, clothing to household appliances – it’s impossible to miss it. Despite its feline features, Hello Kitty actually embodies a little girl from London, according to Sanrio, the Japanese group which holds the license.
Thanks to his large fan base, this character has become a real profit machine. With a solid fan base, the little girl has become a real profit machine. Since Tomokuni Tsuji took over from his grandfather in 2020 as CEO of Sanrio, the company’s stock market value has increased sevenfold, exceeding 6 billion euros.
Beyond his commercial success, the attachment to this character is worldwide. In California, Helen, a Hello Kitty fan, set up an entire room to display her thousands of objects and stuffed animals bearing the image of the mysterious Kitty, ranging from glasses to chewing gum dispensers. She says to herself « obsessed » since Hello Kitty’s arrival in the United States in the 1970s, claiming that spending time among her stuffed animals « soothes the child within her », reports AFP.
« If you are sad, Hello Kitty comforts you »
Unlike other Japanese cultural exports, such as Pokemon or Dragon Ball , Hello Kitty has never been the subject of a particularly developed narrative universe. But how can we explain its success beyond that? Hello Kitty is more than just an animated character; she would bring a touch of sweetness to her fans.
« It would be stupidly cynical to say that we have no need of these soft, fluffy, pink things. Given the disjointed nature of our contemporary lives, we perhaps need it more than ever », assures AFP Christine R. Yano, of the University of Hawaii.
Hello Kitty has its own story, as well as an entourage of characters little known to the general public. She has passions and dreams, just like other icons of Japanese pop culture, like Ash in Pokémon. According to Sanrio, Hello Kitty has a twin sister named Mimmy, a boyfriend (Dear Daniel), and even a pet cat. She loves apple pie and dreams of becoming a pianist… or a poet.
The largest Japanese representation internationally?
Hello Kitty is omnipresent in the world, through its derivative products, through the image it conveys, but also through its popularity. Celebrities who love Hello Kitty are legion, from singers Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj and Katy Perry, to British monarch Charles III.
Emblem of Japanese “kawaii”, Hello Kitty is a soft power tool of the archipelago, where she is the mascot promoting Tokyo’s tourist etiquette. At the beginning, Hello Kitty illustrated a purse, then over the decades, she appeared on very heterogeneous items, official or not, up to collaborations with brands like Adidas and Balenciaga.
The Japanese icon has also become a social media star. The TikTok account dedicated to the character, erected « patron saint of super-adorable » (“CEO of supercute”), delights 3.5 million subscribers with memes or photos of appearances during American baseball competitions.
