March 17, 2008
Lyon College News Bureau

By Courtney Kovacs

Hello Kitty – the name is familiar, and immediately conjures up an image of a small white cat. But why is it so familiar? Have you ever seen any advertising for it? Ken Belson, co-author of “Hello Kitty: The Remarkable Story of Sanrio and the Billion Dollar Feline Phenomenon,” explained this phenomenon in his lecture at Lyon College on March 6.

According to Belson, Hello Kitty is remarkable for several reasons. Hello Kitty herself is not a product – for the most part, she appears on other products instead. Having first appeared in Japan almost 30 years ago on a small coin purse, she was immediately popular among teen and pre-teen girls. The coin purse, however soon changed to other products. This is another interesting aspect of Hello Kitty. “Most of her products change every few months,” Belson said. This effect of making everything a collectible is enhanced by making limited regional editions, for different parts of Japan.

It’s not just her products, though, that change constantly. Hello Kitty does, as well. Some years she appears with a flower instead of a bow, with a pink theme, or a green theme, or a polka-dot theme. According to Belson, when he asked the company how the chose the them for each year, they told him they looked at what other stores were selling. “They told me that one year they went into a cell phone store,” he said. “All the pink accessories were sold out, and all the other colors were still on the racks. That year Hello Kitty got a pink theme.”

Since her debut, Hello Kitty has spread to more than 40 different countries, all without any real advertising. Belson speculated on why this image is so popular, catching on so quickly with young girls. “Her eyes are really far apart, making her less intimidating,” he said. He also pointed out that she doesn’t have a mouth, or very much detail of any kind. “It makes her the perfect companion,” he said. “If you can’t see her mouth, you can’t tell if she’s frowning or smiling. Hello Kitty is feeling whatever you are feeling.”

Later, Belson said, the company gave Hello Kitty a little background information. Hello Kitty was born in suburban London on Nov. 1, 1974, and weighs the same as three apples. She has a twin sister Mimmy (Mimmy can be told apart from Hello Kitty because her bow is on the opposite side).

Belson, who gave his lecture as part of the Japan Lecture Series, covers business and transportation for the New York Times. He earned a master’s degree with honors from the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University. He also holds a bachelor’s in history from Reed College.