Hello Kitty products target young males

AP ^ | 12/28/07 | YURI KAGEYAMA

[Rastus]

Cute-cat products for men will include watches, T-shirts, bags

TOKYO - Hello Kitty is no sexist.

The cute cuddly white cat from Japan’s Sanrio Co., usually seen on toys and jewelry for girls and young women, will soon don T-shirts, bags, watches and other products targeting young men, company spokesman Kazuo Tohmatsu said Friday.

“We think Hello Kitty is accepted by young men as a design statement in fashion,” he said.

The feline for-men products will go on sale in Japan next month, and will be sold soon in the U.S. and other Asian nations, according to Sanrio.

The usual bubble-headed shape of Hello Kitty was slightly changed for a more rugged, cool look to appeal to men in their teens and early 20s.

For example, a picture of the cat on a $36 black T-shirt has the words, “hello kitty,” instead of the usual dots for the eyes and nose.

Hello Kitty is one of mascot-obsessed Japan’s biggest “character” hits, decorating everything from a humble eraser to a $48,000 diamond necklace.

The planned products mark the first time Sanrio is developing Hello Kitty items especially for males, Tohmatsu said.

But Sanrio had tried a “limited edition” collaboration in men’s clothing with designers in Tokyo’s chic Harajuku section earlier this year, and they proved popular, he said.

“Young men these days grew up with character goods,” said Tohmatsu. “That generation feels no embarrassment about wearing Hello Kitty.”

[Chode]

ya gotta be kiddin me...

[G8 Diplomat]

Alright Photoshop experts (hello G8) -— care to put Ahmadnutjob into one of these t-shirts? LOL

LOL! I'll get right to it!

[Caipirabob]

Here we have a selection of "Kalashnikitty" in either "Compassionate Conservative Blue" or "Be really, really nice to her Pink"...

[dr.zaeus]

I believe that I read somewhere that the graphic design of the ‘kitty’ appeals to Asian women because it has no mouth, and therefore, no voice (just like females in a patriarchal society). This might be sociological mumbo-jumbo, but it seemed interesting at the time.

[raccoonradio]

National Lampoon once had a cartoon with this symbol—
and a Hitler moustache. It said “Heil Kitty”

[Spirochete]

[Diana in Wisconsin]

LOL! Good one. :)

[PapaBear3625]

Hello Kitty AR-15 thread (Yes, it shoots)

[Hyzenthlay]

How about this?

[bannie]

Mattel used to make the stock for M-16’s.

[G8 Diplomat]

The shirt on the right says "Hello Kitty" in Farsi (according to my translator)

[metesky]

Never wear clothing with logos. Something bad could happen at any time and all the witnesses will remember is the guy with the logo.

[Rastus]

For some reason, I never liked writing on my shirt.

[G8 Diplomat]

[Cheburashka]

http://www.gikku.com/?p=26

[Cheburashka]

The guy who wears “Hello Kitty” probably won’t get the other kind of kitty.

---

And probably isn’t interested in the other kind of kitty anyway.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

“We think Hello Kitty is accepted by young men as a design statement in fashion,” he said.

LOL - great moments in market analysis. This guy is going to be unemployed very soon.