‘One-of-a-kind partnership’: Hello Kitty, Singapore Cable Car jointly celebrate 50th birthdays

SINGAPORE – Two iconic 50-year-olds are joining hands to celebrate their milestone birthdays in 2024.

Singapore Cable Car (SCC) will roll out Hello Kitty cable car cabins from June 1 to Dec 31 along the Mount Faber Line from Mount Faber Peak to Sentosa.

All 67 cabins on the line – excluding

the seven SkyOrb cabins

– will be adorned with Hello Kitty designs.

Visitors at Mount Faber Peak will also be greeted by a 2m-tall Hello Kitty sculpture decked out in a striking gold ensemble to mark the golden jubilee. SCC turned 50 on Feb 15, while Hello Kitty celebrates her birthday on Nov 1.

Mr Buhdy Bok, managing director of Mount Faber Leisure Group, which operates SCC, told The Straits Times: “As the only brand in South-east Asia commemorating its 50th anniversary alongside Hello Kitty, we are optimistic that this one-of-a-kind partnership will resonate with a wide audience – from families with young children to Hello Kitty fans, locals and tourists alike.”

Ms Cindy Loh, general manager of Sanrio Southeast Asia, said the partnership aims to provide a unique and memorable experience to draw regional fans of the company’s well-loved character.

“Singapore is definitely an important market for us and it serves as a regional hub for all Hello Kitty fans,” she added.

Cable car tickets will remain at $35 per adult and $25 per child for the Cable Car Sky Pass, which includes a round trip on the Mount Faber Line and Sentosa Line.

The collaboration is the first for SCC, which joins many local and international brands that have special launches featuring Hello Kitty in her special year. Locally, brands that are celebrating her five decades of cuteness – or “kawaii” in Japanese – include The Singapore Mint, EZ-Link, Universal Studios Singapore and

footwear brand Anothersole

.

There will also be a Hello Kitty 50th Run Fest 2024 in Sentosa from June 22 to 23, complete with Hello Kitty and Friends themed official run T-shirts, merchandise and photo opportunities.

Cuteness sells

While many across the world would describe Hello Kitty as a feline with whiskers and no mouth, Sanrio says she is not a cat, but a British schoolgirl named Kitty White.

Since she first appeared in 1975 on a coin purse in Japan, her appeal has shown no sign of fading.

Her legions of fans worldwide include celebrities like Lady Gaga, Jisoo of K-pop girl group Blackpink and global DJ Steve Aoki, and transcend generations, cultures and ages.

In Singapore, partnership and engagement manager Ann Choo has amassed more than 100 Hello Kitty collectibles, including stationery items, bowls and books, since her 20s.

“She has no mouth but seems happy at all times,” said the 57-year-old fan. “It’s not easy to copy her look.”

Research done by global data and business intelligence platform Statista in 2021 showed that Hello Kitty was worth US$84.5 billion (S$113.8 billion) in terms of revenue of media franchises worldwide.

Sanrio has worked with different partners over the years to curate a wide range of Hello Kitty products, food and experiences to sustain interest and engage her fans. Potential partnerships are assessed based on Hello Kitty’s message of friendship, kindness and inclusivity, and what her fans want.

“Kawaii or cuteness sells, and it’s still relevant today,” said Ms Loh. “She is unique and timeless, and with no mouth, people can project their emotions onto her.”

Mr Benny Chee, Anothersole’s co-founder and managing director, said the company’s collaboration with Sanrio in January 2024 was “nothing short of extraordinary”.

“Our Hello Kitty Anytime Flats sold out within a single day, and the rest of the collection rapidly followed suit.”

Another tie-up was the Uniqlo T-shirts (UT) collection featuring Hello Kitty and her friends in March 2024.

“Aside from Hello Kitty, past UT collections have featured other Sanrio characters like Kuromi, Gudetama, Little Twin Stars, and My Melody. The vibrant and adorable world of Sanrio has amassed countless fans worldwide,” said a Uniqlo spokesperson.   

As for SCC, Mr Bok said that after the success of its Pokemon campaign in 2023, it wanted to maintain the momentum by featuring another beloved brand.

“Response for the year-long

Singapore Cable Car with Pokemon campaign

had been remarkable. Our average ridership went up by half compared with the previous year. In fact, our ridership doubled in July 2023, two months after the launch.”

In 2021, Hello Kitty was the theme of

Gardens by the Bay’s signature Sakura floral display

in the Flower Dome, and visitorship was in the top few rankings among the last nine editions of Sakura, said Gardens by the Bay’s senior director of business development Ong Kian Ann.

It has featured animated characters in several of its floral displays and events.

For the June school holidays, it is collaborating with Disney and Pixar to feature Inside Out 2.

“These characters, which have popular appeal, can help to broaden our reach to a wider audience beyond just plant enthusiasts, so that more people can experience nature in a different way,” said Mr Ong.

Sanrio, which owns more than 400 characters, set up its South-east Asia office in Singapore in 2021 to bring its characters closer to fans in the region.

“I would say there is increasing love for a kawaii companion,” said Ms Loh, whose team in Singapore has grown from 10 to 18.

“Having a cute companion is good for mental health as we face increasing stress.”

Associate Professor Julien Cayla from NTU’s Nanyang Business School said one of the theories that explain how cute characters like Hello Kitty work is Austrian ethologist Konrad Lorenz’s baby schema, or how a set of infantile physical traits triggers caring behaviour in adults.

“This is also the basis for the success of Mickey Mouse or Snoopy. Figures with a large head in relation to their body, large, round eyes and round cheeks fit into this category of animals or people that we want to protect and care for,” he said.

Hello Kitty’s success also stems from people’s desire to escape the stress of adulthood through dreams of childhood, the appeal of certain Japanese values like harmony and politeness, and Sanrio’s ability to understand its customers, he added.

Professor Lawrence Loh from NUS Business School said another key success factor is Hello Kitty’s versatile application to many products – from cakes to cable cars to theme parks.

“I think the main attractiveness for people is the sense of identification with something nice-looking and good,” he said. “Jumping on the Hello Kitty bandwagon is a quick jump-start for businesses to launch new products or even to refresh ageing offerings.”