Sanrio Marks 45 Years of Hello Kitty with Worldwide Celebrations

Anniversary celebrations begin this month at the launch of a global lingerie and hosiery collaboration with Tezenis and Calzedonia.

Sanrio announced the launch of its worldwide programme of events and partnerships to celebrate 45 years of its oldest character, Hello Kitty. Since she first appeared on a vinyl coin purse in Japan in 1974, Hello Kitty has become a pop culture and kawaii icon, a symbol of happiness, kindness and friendship. She is a character loved by people of all ages, genders and backgrounds. Her birthday is officially celebrated on 1^st November.

Global festivities will honour the world’s love for Hello Kitty 45 years on, and will include larger than life experiences open to the public, limited-edition fashion collaborations and food pop-ups, money-can’t-buy competition prizes and a digital campaign through which Hello Kitty fans will collectively share their love for her.

The celebration will go on throughout 2019:

• A host of fashion collaborations with some of the world’s best-known brands will launch throughout the year. Portuguese designer Katty Xiomara showed her Hello Kitty collaboration at Milan Fashion Week on 24^th February; Brazilian giant Melissa Shoes and Casio Baby-G will be the next to launch global 45^th Anniversary campaigns.
• From April to November 2019, a series of Hello Kitty exhibitions will be curated throughout Japan.
• In France, luxury brands Anonyme Paris, Castelbajac and Laulhère are partnering with Sanrio to create bespoke Hello Kitty collections.
• Across Europe and beyond, longstanding Sanrio partners such as Chupa Chups (Perfetti Van Melle) will launch exclusive licensed products and experiences in multiple categories.
• Hello Kitty’s online community will be invited to share their Hello Kitty memories, and enter to win a money-can’t-buy, once-in-a-lifetime competition prize as well as limited edition 45^th Anniversary plush.
• On her birthday, an immersive Hello Kitty experience – open to all – will appear in Paris, London and Milan. Fans and passersby will enjoy a unique opportunity to celebrate and share the moment with their friends and family online. Further events in countries around the world will also be held.