Words cannot express how infatuated I’ve been with Hello Kitty since the tender age of five. Sure, she may be a cultural phenomenon in the U.S. right now, but any true Hello Kitty fan would have known about her since their childhood. What made Hello Kitty so appealing to me as a child?
Founded in 1960, Sanrio Co., Ltd. created products featuring various animal characters inspired by the popularized segment of Japanese culture known as kawaii (cute). And that just what Hello Kitty and Co. was to me when I was five – cute. Their design gives the impression that they are fun-loving, huggable animals that live in their own fantasy world. They even have birthdays and personal life stories (FYI Keroppi shares the same birthday as me – July 10!). True, if I was introduced to them now, I would most likely think they were creepy, mouth-less animals. However, these Sanrio characters only remind me of my childhood.
The Sanrio characters have a simple design that matches the simpleness that is childhood. Their faces and bodies are basic shapes and have simple lines. Consequently, they give off the feeling of innocence. The colors of each character are bright and attractive to a young child’s eye. These factors combined create a sense of playfulness and easiness.
For the same reason that I find Hello Kitty and her friends appealing, the U.S. consumer market finds them appealing, as well. Hello Kitty has blown up in the last couple of years in popular culture and can be seen everywhere, from makeup to waffle makers. America loves the innocence that Hello Kitty portrays and her design is ubiquitous. The simple oval face with
rounded triangle ears, and a bow on one side is all that is needed to create a cultural phenomenon. As the saying goes, sometimes simple is better. In Hello Kitty’s case, being simple works in her favor.
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