Burda:ic launches Hello Kitty online fan community across Europe

Burda:ic has just announced the launch of the European Hello Kitty online portal at www.sanriotown.com. Licensed by Sanrio Digital, this new official Hello Kitty site will offer fans a free online community in six different languages. The portal will provide a one-stop shop for everything a Hello Kitty fan will ever need to know about the popular Kitten and will offer them hours of entertainment.

Fans will get the opportunity to chat about anything on the site’s forums, from Hello Kitty and other Sanrio characters, to fashion, love, music, games and much more. Users will get

the chance to meet Hello Kitty and Friends, blog about all that’s pink, take part in quizzes and all kind of entertaining activities and buy Hello Kitty merchandise at the online shop. Fans can also share their fun with other fans by playing a selection of online games available. The ‘Dream Studio’ feature is all about creativity, allowing users to upload and personalise their videos and photos with a range of special effects.

Hello Kitty was invented by Sanrio designer, Yuko Yamaguchi, in the 1970s and since then has enjoyed global popularity. The name actually comes from the book, ‘Alice Behind The Mirrors’, by Lewis Carroll. Over the years, Hello Kitty acquired more and more relatives and friends.

Hello Kitty’s fan base has widened in the past decade, appealing originally to young girls but now has a far wider following including young women and celebrities (the majority of fans are between 14 and 29). This is reflected in some of the stylish and wonderful merchandise that’s available, from bags, clothes, jewellery and accessories, to electrical devices and even car tuning items. Hello Kitty is now one of the most famous and most loved brands worldwide, so much so, the brand has become a fashion icon.

According to Achim Kaspers, VP of Marketing, Burda:ic will launch the online game ‘Hello Kitty Online’ as an MMOG (massively multiplayer online game) in 2008. “By playing this game, fans will be able to share virtual adventures with their favourite Kitty and Friends,” says Achim Kaspers.