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Kitty keeping new moms in the pink
By Debby Wu |
January 22, 2009, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
JAPAN'S iconic Hello Kitty brand, not content with confining its logo to handbags, lunch boxes and jet planes, has staked out a new piece of commercial real estate: a maternity hospital in central Taiwan.
Hau Sheng Hospital, 150 kilometers south of Taipei, is the latest destination for the cute feline with the penchant for pink. Her image adorns everything from the hospital's walls to newborns' blankets, reflecting its owner's belief that mothers and newborns will be soothed by the Hello Kitty ambiance.
Tsai Tsung-ji approached Sanrio Co, maker of Hello Kitty, about the embellishment of his hospital at the suggestion of his mother, wife and daughter, all of whom are huge fans.
"When new moms feel anxious and lost about how to deal with their new babies, Hello Kitty can make them more relaxed and reduce their sense of discomfort while giving birth," said Tsai.
He declined to reveal how much he was paying Sanrio for the Hello Kitty rights except to say it was a "reasonable" figure.
Introduced in 1974, Hello Kitty has become one of the most powerful brands in the world, adorning some 50,000 products in 60 countries and regions. In Taiwan it is found on dozens of consumer goods ranging from purses to tote bags and has even been used by local carrier Eva Airways to promote flights to Japan.
Looking on proudly as his newborn son was wheeled into the baby ward, first-time father Chen Wen-sheng, 24, said coming to the hospital had been the right choice for his family.
"Both my wife and I like Hello Kitty, and we chose this hospital after seeing it on TV," he said.
"The place is quite pretty, and warm and fuzzy like Hello Kitty should be."
The hospital boasts an elaborate, gilded entrance with mock Ionic columns and white, pink and violet tile walls.
A giant Hello Kitty figure dressed in a pink doctor's uniform greets visitors in the main lobby, while colorful murals of the feline and her "Dear Daniel" boyfriend are mounted in the recovery rooms for moms, in the central baby room and even on elevator doors. Newborns are wrapped in Hello Kitty blankets - pink for the girls, sky blue for the boys.
Nurse Rita Lai, dressed in a pink uniform and an apron with an imprint of the Hello Kitty image, said the cat character warms people's heart and draws moms and medical staff closer together.
"Pink is about warm and fuzzy feelings and new lives," she said. "Hello Kitty allows new moms to feel relaxed, lowers their defenses and makes it easier for us to treat them."
Hau Sheng Hospital, 150 kilometers south of Taipei, is the latest destination for the cute feline with the penchant for pink. Her image adorns everything from the hospital's walls to newborns' blankets, reflecting its owner's belief that mothers and newborns will be soothed by the Hello Kitty ambiance.
Tsai Tsung-ji approached Sanrio Co, maker of Hello Kitty, about the embellishment of his hospital at the suggestion of his mother, wife and daughter, all of whom are huge fans.
"When new moms feel anxious and lost about how to deal with their new babies, Hello Kitty can make them more relaxed and reduce their sense of discomfort while giving birth," said Tsai.
He declined to reveal how much he was paying Sanrio for the Hello Kitty rights except to say it was a "reasonable" figure.
Introduced in 1974, Hello Kitty has become one of the most powerful brands in the world, adorning some 50,000 products in 60 countries and regions. In Taiwan it is found on dozens of consumer goods ranging from purses to tote bags and has even been used by local carrier Eva Airways to promote flights to Japan.
Looking on proudly as his newborn son was wheeled into the baby ward, first-time father Chen Wen-sheng, 24, said coming to the hospital had been the right choice for his family.
"Both my wife and I like Hello Kitty, and we chose this hospital after seeing it on TV," he said.
"The place is quite pretty, and warm and fuzzy like Hello Kitty should be."
The hospital boasts an elaborate, gilded entrance with mock Ionic columns and white, pink and violet tile walls.
A giant Hello Kitty figure dressed in a pink doctor's uniform greets visitors in the main lobby, while colorful murals of the feline and her "Dear Daniel" boyfriend are mounted in the recovery rooms for moms, in the central baby room and even on elevator doors. Newborns are wrapped in Hello Kitty blankets - pink for the girls, sky blue for the boys.
Nurse Rita Lai, dressed in a pink uniform and an apron with an imprint of the Hello Kitty image, said the cat character warms people's heart and draws moms and medical staff closer together.
"Pink is about warm and fuzzy feelings and new lives," she said. "Hello Kitty allows new moms to feel relaxed, lowers their defenses and makes it easier for us to treat them."
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