NorCal Wine: Thank you very much for taking time out of your busy promotional schedule to speak with us.
Hello Kitty: It is my great honor to do so, NorCal Wine-san.

NCW: What shall I call you? “Hello?” “Miss Kitty?”
HK: Please call me “Hello Kitty.” Shortened names dilute brand.

NCW: According to your bio, you live in London. Most people think you live in Japan.
HK: I live in London.

NCW: How do you like London?
HK: As a cat, I do not like the rain. As a cartoon character with broad business interests, I like selling umbrellas.

NCW: You still have ties to Japan though?
HK: Hi.

NCW: Yes, hello again. Do you maintain ties to Japan?
HK: Hi!

NCW: Howdy! Now, about that question?
HK: Hi, Hi. Oh. Sorry. I mean “yes.”

NCW: What are those ties?
HK: The Japanese Tourism Ministry has named me, Hello Kitty, Japan’s Ambassador of Cute.

NCW: That’s quite an honor. What are your responsibilities as an ambassador?
HK: I travel, mostly to China and Hong Kong. I wear a kimono, talk to women and encourage them to visit Japan.

NCW: It seems that you travel a lot. Last year, 50% of your company’s [Sanrio] operating profit came from outside of Japan.
HK: Living in London helps very much. And then there’s my Hello Kitty blog...

NCW: You have a blog?
HK: Yes, all the cool cats are blogging now. I like to post pictures of myself in New York with Dakota Fanning and Miley Cyrus.

NCW: You were born in 1976, how do explain your lasting success.
HK: Cute is very powerful. Girls become women, but still love “cute.”

NCW: Speaking of children, some people are concerned that a famous character such as yourself who appeals to children – you appear on lunch boxes, spiral notebooks and shiny little purses – may send the wrong message by putting your face on wine bottles. Are you concerned about this?
HK: Cute does not feed the bulldog. I must sell.

NCW: Yes, but why an alcoholic product.
HK: The product is alcohol, not alcoholic. The product does not drink.

NCW: Point taken, but are you concerned that endorsing wine will encourage children to drink?
HK: Officially, "the wine is targeted solely toward the adult consumer over 21 years of age."

NCW: Yes, but children will see the wine and may be influenced.

HK: I do not have a licensing deal for eyeglasses. I am not responsible for what children see. [Glances at Hello Kitty wristwatch.]

NCW: The blogger, Dr. Vino is doing a reader poll that compares you to Joe Camel.
HK: Joe Camel has a big nose.

NCW: I think Dr. Vino is concerned about the effect Hello Kitty branding on wine might have on children.
HK: Hello Kitty is 35 years old. I am an adult now, not a little girl. I’m not! I’m not! I’m not! And Dr. Vino is a poopy-head. Children are old enough to know they shouldn’t drink.

NCW: Actually, a national survey published in June of 2000 showed that almost one-third of U.S. high school kids had consumed five or more drinks in a single occasion during the thirty days prior to the survey. And another study showed that children who begin drinking before age 15 are four times more likely to become alcoholics than those who begin drinking at 21.
HK: Officially, "the wine is targeted solely toward the adult consumer over 21 years of age."

NCW: But you said that cute is powerful.
HK: [stony silence]

NCW: Right. What kinds of wine are your offering?
HK: There are four Hello Kitty wines. A sparkling wine, a white wine and and red wine all made from 100% Pinot Nero. The fourth wine is a demi-sec sparkling rosé made from “grapes blend with aromatic grapes.”

NCW: Where are the wines produced?
HK: The are all D.O.C. wines from Lombardy in Italy.

NCW: Are the wines good?
HK: I am a cartoon cat. I don't taste wine.

NCW: Would you say that the wines are made for food?
HK: The wines are made for drinking. We also have recipes for making cocktails with our Hello Kitty wine. Try the “Feline Fizz.”

NCW: Thank you for your time.
HK: Would you like to buy a Hello Kitty pencil?

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This article is original to NorCalWine.com. Copyright 2010 NorCal Wine. All rights reserved. Hello Kitty is a trademark of Sanrio Co., Ltd. The Hello Kitty wine masthead is an edited version of a desktop wallpaper file available for free download from the importers website. Hello Kitty Wines are imported by MCW.

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