The Most Famous Kitten of Them All, Kitty White
The Most Famous Kitten of Them All, Kitty White
Author: Martin
Walk into many high street stores, and you will see a familiar face, she's small (about the height of three apples, according to her creators), slightly chubby (although she only weighs five apples), has a red bow on her left ear, and frequently wears a little red dress.� Can you guess who it could be?� That's right, it's Hello Kitty, and as far as trademarks go, she is one of the most easily recognisable in the world. � Extremely popular, she has truly reached the heady heights of the marketing and advertising world, any company would be proud to boast such a feat.� She is cutesy, and this selling point has ensured her continued popularity.� Indeed, she first arrived in our collective consumer conscience during the 1970s and she continues to be a firm feature, even after four decades. Kitty appeals to many different types of consumer, from those that collect memorabilia, to small children who just want toys, toys, and more toys.� One way in which she manages to achieve such widespread adoration, is the versatility of her imagery.� She features on over 50,000 different types of product, from stationary, to cars; her face has been emblazoned upon them.� And, more likely than not, you could name a few items yourself, and have probably, at some time, owned Hello Kitty merchandise too. In 1974, a Japanese company, Sanrio, commissioned the work of a designer to create a cartoon image to place upon their vinyl purses.� The remit he was given was to create an animal who would appeal to young, pre-adolescent, girls: Kitty White was the result.� The Sanrio Company have never looked back.� Their unique brand of marketing has ensured the company an annual turnover well in excess of a billion pounds, they sell merchandise all over the world, from Tokyo to Sydney, London to New York, she is one popular kitten. The Sanrio Company has moved on significantly from the early days of their vinyl purses, although these are still an extremely popular product.� Now, you can find Kitty on cheques, handbags, Swarovski jewellery, clothing, furniture (some people have even based the entire interior design of their houses on Hello Kitty, so adored and iconic is her image), and much else besides. Hello Kitty was designed to reflect British sensibilities, and although created in Japan, her birthplace is a Suburb on the outskirts of London.� She epitomises British values, but at the same time, is distinctly Japanese, giving her a truly multicultural background, and making her a firm favourite with our contemporary, forward looking, society.� Her credentials are so awe inspiring, in fact, that her she has been used as ambassador for UNICEF, and for the Chinese and Hong Kong tourist board! � Not many kittens have achieved quite so much in their time.
