After the excitement of Hello Kitty’s 50th anniversary, Sanrio is gearing up for another extraordinary year.

What truly sets the company apart, globally recognized as a lifestyle brand with a rich portfolio of partnerships and licensees, is its ability to transcend demographics and connect with consumers of all ages, genders, nationalities, and cultures.

This enduring appeal is why the company is poised to further expand its presence in the toy and games market. The final quarter of 2024 saw a major announcement: the appointment of Giochi Preziosi as Sanrio’s Master Toy Licensee. This collaboration introduces new lines of Hello Kitty and Friends products with the firs minifigures, plush toys, and accessories launched last Autumn just in time for the holiday season.

These products have been backed by a comprehensive marketing campaign, including store customizations in Giochi Preziosi’s flagship Milan store and a Hello Kitty branded streetcar traversing the city for an entire month. Emphasizing themes of friendship, kindness, and inclusion, the Hello Kitty and Friends range is expected to be a major success. Alongside Hello Kitty, beloved characters like Cinnamoroll, My Melody, and Kuromi will also be featured.

This development aligns with a market increasingly embracing gender-neutral products that evoke positive emotions. Additionally, trends such as the global fascination with Japanese and Asian cultures, as well as the popularity of kawaii (cute) design, continue to boost the appeal of Sanrio characters.

Adding to this, the kidult segment (adults embracing toys, games, and collectibles as part of their lifestyle) continues to attract the interest of licensees and marketers, making Sanrio’s portfolio of characters more appealing than ever. For instance, MGA has launched a limited-edition collection of eight dolls inspired by Hello Kitty and Friends characters, including Hello Kitty, Cinnamoroll, Pochacco, Keroppi, My Melody, Pompompurin, and Kuromi.

Furthermore, the Hello Kitty Miniverse Make It Mini Food line offers capsules containing hyperrealistic, miniature, Hello Kitty-themed foods to create, display, and collect. In 2025, fans can anticipate exciting new collections from both long-time and new partners. Following the success of Funko’s Hello Kitty 50th-anniversar dolls, the company will expand its Sanrio range. Maxx Marketing will also introduce more collectible gifts, including keychains and light-ups, while Micki Toys debuts a Hello Kitty and Friends preschool collection featuring sustainable wooden toys. Paladone’s fresh line of gifting items will include both Hello Kitty and Gudetama. 

In 2025, Sanrio will celebrate two significant anniversaries: My Melody’s 50th and Kuromi’s 20th. Often described as “frenemies,” My Melody’s cheerful and warm-hearted personality contrasts with Kuromi’s mischievous and rebellious nature, making their joint celebrations especially fitting.

Entertainment is another strategic area for Sanrio, which is why fans can look forward to more content featuring these characters and the broader Hello Kitty universe. The most exciting announcement is the new stop-motion streaming series, My Melody & Kuromi, premiering on Netflix this July. This will expand Sanrio’s content library, which this year will see also two additional seasons in the Hello Kitty’s Supercute Adventures Youtube series, with localized versions in Italian, German, Spanish, French, and Hindi. For the first time, fans in these regions will also be able to enjoy Kuromi’s Pretty Journey, launching later this year on the same platform.

Sanrio’s influence extends beyond toys and entertainment, deeply impacting the fashion industry. Alongside Hello Kitty, Kuromi, My Melody, and Cinnamoroll have already appeared in collaborations with brands such as Adidas, Lazy Oaf, Crocs and UNIQLO. This year, both longstanding and new partners will explore the limitless possibilities of Sanrio character designs. Collections from major retailers, including Primark, H&M, Inditex Group, LPP Group and Forever 21, will feature Hello Kitty and Friends, each having a personal spin on the IPs for a true multitarget offering.