SANRIO
Sanrio is the iconic brand behind Hello Kitty and many other beloved illustrated favorites like Little Twin Stars, My Melody, and Tuxedo Sam. Starting with their 35th-anniversary art book Three Apples, Roger Gastman has packaged three Sanrio books and created several large branded experiences across the country. Small Gift is Sanrio’s 50th-anniversary book, promoted by the Small Gift Mobile Pop-Up Shop Tour that traveled to more than a dozen locations across the country. To coincide with Art Basel, a brand event and art exhibition featuring a historical timeline, product retrospective, pop-up store, free tattoo parlor, and an art show consisting of more than 50 artists who re-imagined Hello Kitty or another iconic Sanrio character in their own aesthetic was held in an 8,000 square-foot warehouse space in the Wynwood Arts District of Miami. The tour generated more than 500,000 live impressions through its travels and events, sold a large percentage of the limited-edition products on-site, and conducted more than 15,000 individual sales transactions. At numerous markets, a line formed as much as eight hours before the trucks arrived.
The next book project, Hello Kitty, Hello Art, was created to showcase a variety of artist collaborations and was released with art exhibits in New York City and Los Angeles. The book launch and show at Known Gallery in L.A. boasted the longest line ever for an event on Fairfax Blvd. Hello Kitty for President was a pop-up store and interactive event project in D.C. during the 2012 Presidential elections that retailed limited-edition merchandise with a Presidential theme. In the summer of 2013, Hello Kitty went to San Diego Comic-Con with a colorful branded experience featuring pop-up stores for fans who lined up to purchase their limited-edition Comic-Con exclusive Sanrio products.
