Sanrio to follow successful Hello Kitty Gang first year in 2018

Following a successful digital-first launch in February 2017, Hello Kitty’s influencer campaign ‘Hello Kitty Gang’ is set to expand in the UK and internationally in 2018. Owned by Sanrio, Hello Kitty was created in 1974 and is one of Sanrio’s most popular characters, with recent partnerships with ASOS and Lazy Oaf cementing the character’s popularity with a millennial audience.

Hello Kitty Gang launched in the UK with an intimate Valentine’s Day event in London. 20 young female bloggers, entrepreneurs, models, musicians and journalists were treated to a range of pampering and spa treatments using Hello Kitty products, with attendees including Stefani Nurding and breakout music star Mabel McVey helping drive a reach of 250k through Instagram stories alone. #HelloKittyGang has continued to be popular on Instagram, being used over 38k times.

The launch was followed by two popular events in August 2017. A limited edition pop-up stand at Topshop Oxford Circus drove excitement amongst fans, with listings in Time Out, HypeBae and NYLON. Fans flocked to the event to buy personalised pieces, this being the first time the public could buy Hello Kitty Gang merch. The pop-up was then followed by a takeover of Ministry Does Fitness – Ministry of Sound’s own gym, creating a Hello Kitty-themed gym class, playlist and goodie bags for attendees.

Beyond the UK, Sanrio has also held Hello Kitty Gang events in Berlin, Milan, Melbourne and Paris, celebrating creativity, fashion and food with Hello Kitty products and the Hello Kitty Gang network it is growing and nurturing carefully.

Martina Longueira, senior marketing manager at Sanrio GmbH (Sanrio’s European arm) comments: “Hello Kitty Gang is creating a community that is exclusive yet open to all – one that started on Instagram and is now offline too. Our influencer-led approach in 2017 had a phenomenal response and we can’t wait to recruit new members to the Hello Kitty Gang in 2018 through a series of one-off events, collaborations and pop-ups. As Hello Kitty says, ‘you can never have too many friends!’”

Founded in Japan in 1960, the Sanrio family features over 400 characters, including the hugely popular Hello Kitty and the Mr. Men Little Miss series. With a community of fans across all age groups, Sanrio have created a number of successful brand partnerships with household names including Transport for London (Mr. Men), ASOS (Hello Kitty) and Heathrow Airport (Mr. Men).