Hello Ginger? · 19 May 2008
It was reported today that Japan will appoint its ubiquitous feline cartoon character Hello Kitty as a goodwill tourism ambassador in China and Hong Kong, with the aim of promoting visits to Japan, ministry officials said.
Now, Hello Kitty is the best-known of many fictional characters produced by the Japanese company Sanrio. Registered in 1976, Hello Kitty is now a globally known trademark.
Many American celebrities have contributed to the character’s popularity: Ricky Martin, Britney Spears, Mariah Carey, Cameron Diaz, Heidi Klum, Steven Tyler, Christina Aguilera, Carmen Electra, Mandy Moore, Raven-Symoné, Miley Cyrus, Varla Jean Merman, as well as Paris and Nicky Hilton have all been spotted with Hello Kitty goods.
I was interviewed on ABC Radio today, because when it was considered who would make the perfect cartoon ambassador to Australia, who would they chose?
Unanimously, that consideration came to Ginger Meggs. After all, he’s an Australian icon, and he’s been around for a lot longer than 1976. (He’s technically old enough to be Helly Kitty’s grandfather), but that aside – he’s a perfect embodiment of the Australian fun-loving larrikin that were so well known for around the world.
Thanks to the tireless work of the inimitable James Kemsley, Ginger Meggs now runs in over 120 papers around over 30 countries around the world, so he’s already doing a good ambassadorial job for Australia – minus the official title.
I did make the comment in the interview that you’d sooner see hell freeze over before you saw Ginger Meggs in a tiny bikini on a beach screaming “So where the bloody hell are you?” – but it’s worth considering; Who else would better fit the role of a cartoon character ambassador to Australia?
