From young children to grown adults, countless people are fascinated by the brand Sanrio and what it’s got to offer. Sanrio is a Japanese brand that consists of different animated characters, the most famous being Hello Kitty. 

It was founded on August 10, 1960, the name originating from the Spanish words “Saint River”. Sanrio’s owner Shintaro Tsuji originally opened the company to make different rubber sandals. He then noticed how they sold better when he created cute designs, which motivated him to create Hello Kitty in 1974. He would go on to hire designers to create more characters throughout the years.

These new designs would include characters such as Kuromi, Keroppi, Cinnamoroll, Pompompurin, My Melody, and more. Those are the most famous characters to this day and they all tend to have their own aesthetic based on their color palettes.

The idea of each character having their own aesthetic was customarily used in the early 2000s but is still common in media. This is the impact of the outgrowing of “kawaii” (cute in Japanese) culture, where people adapt their aesthetic around these different characters.

The reason Sanrio has remained so relevant is due to the fact that it allows an older audience to keep in touch with their inner child and match their lifestyle to something they enjoy. 

In no way am I shaming any Sanrio fans, I am one too. I personally prefer Cinnnamoroll because of his light blue accent, which is one of my favorite colors, and because we share the same birthday. I also really like My Melody because she has a light pink aesthetic which is another one of my favorite colors. 

The company itself is very financially successful. Sanrio has all types of products to offer to its customers at an unbelievably high price. However, despite that, people continue to support and purchase from them, leading to its peak revenue just last year of $575.3 million, according to The California Aggie. 

The company is well aware that their marketing of “cute stuff” will sell at any price because it is from the official company so they are not shy with their prices. Many small companies sell off-brand and cheaper versions of what Sanrio has to offer, however, the people who have the money would rather purchase the authentic version.

Another reason for its success is its availability. All different types of products are sold at big or small stores, whether it’s a small Hello Kitty candy or a big $50 stuffed animal, it is more likely to sell based on the design solely being cute.

Sanrio is a big example of how cute things just simply make us humans happier by adding something exciting and nice to look at in our lives.