The brandwidth of Hello Kitty

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When Douglas Coupland wrote in Generation X that Hello Kitty had surprisingly large brandwidth, did he imagine that it could go as far as this:

The 30-bed Hau Sheng Hospital in Yuanlin in central Taiwan is reportedly the world's first Hello Kitty themed medical establishment.

From blankets and birth certificates to cots and uniforms worn by staff, every aspect of the Hello Kitty hospital is emblazoned with the feline motif.

Patients are welcomed by a statue of Hello Kitty dressed in a doctor's uniform, before travelling in a Hello Kitty elevator to a pink examination room with Hello Kitty posters on the wall.

HT: punky the cat. Somehow, this embodies a certain idea I have about Japan.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Why not China ? You said that this place is in Taiwan.
7:30 PM, December 09, 2008
Zachary Drake said…
Yeah, that's weird. Even though this place is in Taiwan, it's the sort of thing I associate with Japan: excessive cuteness, very aggressive branding, heavily themed hotels, restaurants, etc., naturally extending to hospitals.

Maybe it's because I've never been to Taiwan. Perhaps they have a similar propensity for themed stuff there. And maybe I associate Hello Kitty itself with Japan.
3:08 AM, December 10, 2008
Anonymous said…
Well, I saw that Hello Kitty was hugely popular in Hong Kong when I was there.
6:12 AM, December 10, 2008
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