We are familiar with the image of the adorable, feminine Hello Kitty cat, without a mouth and wearing a pink bow.

Unlike many other legendary cartoon characters such as Disney’s Mickey Mouse, Doraemon, Pikachu,… Hello Kitty did not `come out` from any series or movie but is purely a commercial project.

Hello Kitty, also known as Kitty White is a fictional character designed by the Japanese company Sanrio.

It was introduced by Sanrio with a fictional biography as follows: born in the suburbs of London (UK), weighs as much as 3 apples, likes the color red, plays the piano and bakes cookies, has a twin sister named Mimmy and

Hello Kitty is a product of kawaii (cute) culture in modern Japanese culture.

Hello Kitty is not only famous in Japan but has since spread to Asia and the West.

With a design that perfectly captured the “kawaii” (Japanese cute culture) segment at the time, Hello Kitty became a local and international phenomenon gradually over the years.

During the 80s and 90s, Hello Kitty played an important role in the development of kawaii art in Japan.

Sanrio eventually successfully infiltrated American pop culture after celebrities such as Mariah Carey and Cameron Diaz began appearing with products featuring the character.

Following Hello Kitty’s skyrocketing popularity, cartoons, books and video games about the character were produced.

Branding expert Dorie Clark believes that Hello Kitty’s popularity relies on design as the first important factor.

Yuko Yamaguchi, Hello Kitty’s third designer, explained in an interview with TIME magazine why the cat has no mouth as follows: `People who look at it can choose their own emotions to put on the face.`

At the time Kitty was created, Japanese girls were having the “British dream.”

Another reason for Kitty’s success is her ability to adapt to the times.

Besides, after nearly 50 years of existence on the market, Hello Kitty still retains its appeal thanks to its nostalgic factor.

Source: Yahoo, The Week