My daughter loves Hello Kitty. Hello Kitty, Hello Kitty, Hello Kitty… the cute cuddly white bubble-headed feline decorates just about every square inch of her room and at times her body too.
From toys to tees, jeans to jewelry, bedding to bags, watches to window clings, lipstick to laundry baskets, and everything in between, that cat has invaded our living space and it doesn’t so much as meow (thank goodness).
With all that its creators—-Japan’s Sanrio Co.—-have done to commercialize Hello Kitty you’d think their latest move would have come a long time ago. According to company spokespeople, Sanrio plans to start the new year by unveiling a new line to attract boys. That’s right… Hello Kitty for the G.I. Joe set.
Sanrio executives say they conducted studies and found Hello Kitty is accepted by young men as a design statement in fashion. So the company is reaching out to their male fans. Beginning next month Sanrio will fill store shelves in Japan with Hello Kitty-for men products. (The line will expand to the United States and other Asian nations by summer 2008.)
According to company executives, the planned products mark the first time Sanrio is developing Hello Kitty items especially for males. The new line includes a slightly altered more rugged looking Hello Kitty that is supposed to appeal to men in their teens and early 20s.
One of the new male-only products includes a $36 black t-shirt with a picture of the cat (minus the usual dots for the eyes and nose) and the words, “hello kitty.” Sanrio executives say a “limited edition” collection of men’s clothing marketed in Tokyo’s chic Harajuku section earlier this year proved to be extremely popular.
Frankly, I’m not surprised. I grew up in Hawaii where Hello Kitty is beyond popular. The cat is as beloved in the Islands as it is in Japan. What’s more, Japanese are mascot-obsessed, which is why Hello Kitty has a cult-like following there. The cat’s mug decorates everything from five-cent pencil erasers to $48,000 diamond necklaces. Boys in Japan grew up with Hello Kitty, so I have no doubt that males in their 20s will suffer no embarrassment wearing shirts emblazoned with the feline’s face.
Moreover, I now know exactly what I will be getting my Hello Kitty obsessed sister-in-law’s son next Christmas. Luckily my nephew is just a tot and has no clue how his wardrobe is about to change.