The recent story on CNN Money documented 5 new alcoholic beverages entering the market place. The most shocking of these was the Hello Kitty brand wine and champagne. Sanrio spokesman, Dave Marchi, told Money "Hello Kitty has a huge following of 20, 30, and 40-year-old fans that love the product." http://www.sanrio.com/ click this link and tell me this is an icon aimed at 20, 30, and 40-somethings. While it is true that Hello Kitty has a large following of drinking age adults, it can’t be ignored that this is an icon meant to appeal to children, and for this reason the decision is in awful taste. Sanrio is the company that holds the licensing rights to Hello Kitty, and it is within their legal right to use her to market an alcoholic beverage to legal drink age adults. However, as we have seen so often in corporate history, just because something is legal does not mean it is right. We have laws that prohibit tobacco companies from marketing to kids with cartoon characters, there’s legislation to limit the allure fast food companies can use with children, but Sanrio isn’t an alcoholic beverage company. They’re a kids’ entertainment company that happens to sell alcoholic beverages by using its most popular kids’ entertainment icon. Using this logic, I guess The Jim Henson Company could start making Kermit the frog condoms. Or maybe Dora the explorer and her friends Backpack and Boots could have their own small firearms line. After all, lots of adults love Kermit the frog and Dora the explorer too. Again, just because it's legal doesn't mean it's right.
I've also posted a poll on what you think Sanrio should do with their current situation.
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