5
MAKE IT CUTE
Among children–and adults who are still in touch with their inner infant–cute stuff is amazingly popular. From backpacks in the shape of penguins that look like they’re hitching a ride on a child’s shoulders, to teddy bear ears that motorcycle riders stick onto their crash helmets, there is a market for cuteness. In Japan, where cuteness is taken to its limits, the word that describes adorable, sweet things is kawaii, often heard squealed at high volume whenever Japanese girls spot something fluffy with large eyes.
The idea Originally designed for children but with a massive adult fan base (both serious and ironic), the queen of kawaii is Hello Kitty. This cute kitten character who is so popular she has her own theme park, Sanrio Puroland, in a Tama New Town, Tokyo, and another in China. The large-headed, huge-eyed cat character has stormed the Far East, had her own department in Harrods and appears on hundreds of products from stickers to sugar candies. You might imagine that cute and sophisticated wouldn’t mix, but Louis Vuitton (LV) commissioned Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, who specialises in creating unusual kawaii characters, to decorate their normally sober brown and gold monogrammed canvas bags. Featuring smiling cherries or happy flowers, these bags flew out of the stores, in Japan and around the world. This was
12 • 100 GREAT BRANDING IDEAS
100 Great Branding Ideas 14dec.indd 12
12/14/11 11:14 AM