The market for licensed goods is booming – thanks to young customers who remain loyal to their beloved characters. A trip into the universes of Hello Kitty and Elsa.
She turns 50 this year, but still looks very young. With her colorful bow and her black eyes, she has already won the hearts of many girls all over the world. And she doesn’t even have a mouth.
Invented in 1974, the Japanese company Sanrio has not only created a cute creature with the character “Hello Kitty”, but has also created a global brand. One that has become a UNICEF ambassador and supports her small and large companions in every situation. “If you are unhappy, she will comfort you; if you are happy, she is happy too,” says Yuko Tsuji, Managing Executive Officer of the Sanrio company and member of the founding family, to “Presse am Sonntag”. The curious thing is that there is a lot of Hello Kitty, who according to Sanrio is a “bright and friendly girl”, but – apart from two Japanese theme parks and a few video games – mostly a lot of little things.
A universe has been created around the character Hello Kitty, which consists primarily of accessories. Hello Kitty collaborations or licensed products can be found as far as the eye can see: on girls’ T-shirts in the children’s department of the Swedish fashion giant H&M, at the shoe company Crocs, the sports goods manufacturer Adidas and the luxury fashion label Balenciaga.
