a Japanese success story full of simplicity and charm

Hello Kitty doesn’t look her age. And even though it was recently turns 50shows no signs of slowing down.

In 2025, the Japanese character – worth approx $4 billion (£3.1 billion) a year to the company that owns it – is to star in a live-action film. There are also plans for a up-to-date amusement park and recreation center.

Her 50th anniversary was celebrated with events in Japan, Singapore, the US and the UK, where she received the award birthday message from King Charles at the state banquet at Buckingham Palace.

Quite a party for a character with two black dotted eyes, no mouth, and a nose with yellow buttons. Designed in 1974 by Yuko Shimizu (who is believed to have made little money from her creation), Hello Kitty first appeared on a clear vinyl purse – and has since grown into a merchandise empire of over 50 000 different items sold in 130 countries.

Hello Kitty’s longevity is due in part to its inherent simplicity. Design-wise, it consists of a few basic shapes, six brief mustache markers, and a red bow. It is effortless to recognize and budget-friendly to reproduce.

This character also embodies “Kawaii”, the Japanese word for cute. According to Professor Joshua Dale, a pioneer in the field of “cuteness studies”, viewing objects as cuteness triggers psychological instincts for care and protection.

Thanks to Hello Kitty, children perceive the tiny, rounded figure as unthreatening. Like others (see Winnie the Pooh, Mickey Mouse and many, many others), it provides a sense of innocence and comfort that attracts fans from an early age – and lasts until adulthood among those craving nostalgia.

Part of this comes down to people constant enthusiasm Down anthropomorphism – the concept of giving animals and other non-human beings human characteristics. Some argue that it is also a key element in the infantilization of society more broadly.

Hello Kitty also has an easy-to-relate storyline that appeals to consumers. According to her biographyHello Kitty – full name Kitty White – is a cheerful little girl (so she is not officially a cat) who lives with her family in the suburbs of London. She is described as “five apples lofty” and “three apples” in weight. She apparently loves baking cookies, and her other hobbies include traveling, listening to music, and meeting up-to-date friends.

Corporate kitty

But beyond baking and making friends, Hello Kitty has a very grave, business side to her character. Sanrio, the Japanese company that owns it, has hired some brilliant people strategies to build and maintain such a successful brand.

Cooperation with other companies played a huge role in this. In 1996, Sanrio began its first cooperation with an electronics retail chain in Hong Kong. But things really took off three years later when the company teamed up with McDonald’s to offer a Hello Kitty meal deal.

The promotion started a craze in Hong Kong, achieving similar success in Taiwan, Japan and Singapore – where it premiered in 2000. led to huge queues and even fights. According to reports, customers he threw away the hamburgers because they were only interested in a special edition wedding toy set featuring Hello Kitty and her boyfriend Dear Daniel.

This year’s McDonald’s Singapore 50th Anniversary Toy Collection sold out quickly and became available soon resold online.

In other cases, Hello Kitty’s commercial success has been linked to licensed collaborations with major brands including Nike, Adidas, Crocs and an Italian fashion brand Blumarin.

Hello Kitty products have evolved from stationery and stickers to microwave ovens, toasters and vacuum cleaners. She appeared Fender Stratocaster electric guitars and Swarovski jewelry.

There are also two officially licensed theme parks in Japan: Sanrio Puroland (in Tokyo) and Harmonyland (in Ōita), with another scheduled to open on the Chinese island of Hainan in 2025.

And in addition to animated series and films, comics, books and video games, next year Hello Kitty will follow in Barbie’s footsteps and appear in a (partially) live-action film produced by Warner Bros. The film’s co-director, Jennifer Coyle, says there will be a release “spread the message of love, friendship and inclusivity that Hello Kitty represents.”

However, despite all these projects, Sanrio is diversifying its activities away from this character. Hello Kitty currently accounts for 60% of all company activities in North America (in 2013 it was 99%) and worldwide only 30%. Other characters move to Kitty’s patch.

By Sanrio 2024 Character popularity rankingHello Kitty ranks fifth, with Cinnamoroll (the pink-cheeked dog) at the top.

Other younger works such as Gudetama (Detached Egg Yolk) and Aggretsuko (Incensed Red Panda) mark a marked shift from Sanrio’s emphasis on cute characters to those that reflect social concerns. For example, Aggretsuko has faces gender discriminationsocial anxiety and lack of work-life balance. Gudetama reflects struggles and aspirations youthful people in Japan.

But as up-to-date characters come and go, Hello Kitty’s familiar expression it will undoubtedly remain unchanged, as it has been for 50 years. An impenetrable look back at five decades of incredible commercial success.