Sanrio Inc. Announces Partnership With Target® for Small Gift Mobile Tour

TORRANCE, Calif., Sept. 21 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanrio Inc. and Target will partner together this fall on Small Gift -- the mobile pop-up tour that will bring Sanrio's 50th Anniversary celebration to fans nationwide.  Small Gift, inspired by the company's "small gift, big smile" philosophy, will deliver the Sanrio experience directly to fans of all ages, pairing the whimsical nostalgia of Sanrio with the modern twist of a cross country mobile retail brand experience.  The tour will pay tribute to fans nationwide, whose overwhelming support has helped the global company grow into a $5 billion business.  This isn't the first time Sanrio and Target have partnered together; Target has been a destination retailer for Hello Kitty for over 10 years.  

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The Tour Experience:  Two trailers, wrapped in graphics that capture the essence of Sanrio's characters over the years, will roll into stops across the country, sharing the world of Sanrio with devotees on street corners and in parking lots of some of their favorite locations.  Small Gift will provide a super-fun atmosphere for all to share their love and appreciation for Sanrio and their myriad of characters.  The product trailer will serve up "50 must have" collectible products, celebrating the legacy of Sanrio characters including Hello Kitty®, Little Twin Stars®, My Melody®, Patty & Jimmy™, Tuxedosam™, Keroppi®, Badtz-Maru®, and Chococat®. The 50th item will only be available at Target stores.  Guests can immerse themselves in the Sanrio experience while playing games, entering contests, sharing photo ops with their favorite characters and enjoying the interactive space with other fans.   Mixing the nostalgic, heart-warming appeal of Sanrio with high tech apps, customers will purchase products utilizing PaySaber. This mobile point of sale device will be used to take sales and credit card orders using Apple iPod Touches and iPhones, allowing customers to easily checkout anywhere at the event.

The Tour Stops:  The convoy will be making stops in several cities from Seattle to Miami.  After kicking off in San Francisco on October 23 – hometown to Sanrio U.S. – the caravan will make its way to Seattle for a stop at ZomBcon over Halloween weekend. Las Vegas, Austin, New Orleans and New York are just a few of the many destinations -- the mobile unit will also visit 50th Anniversary opening night events in Los Angeles (Santa Monica in mid-November) and Miami (Art Basel in early December). For a full listing of stops, please visit sanrio.com/smallgift.

The Tour Promotion:  Sanrio fans can stay up to date with the tour by downloading a special iPhone app developed by Chaotic Moon, which will launch mid-October. The app will provide a truck locator and updates on all the stops, info on product launches and fun character facts.  They can also follow the tour and other 50th Anniversary celebrations at sanrio.com/smallgift, Hello Kitty's blog and Sanrio and Hello Kitty's Facebook pages (facebook.com/Sanrio and facebook.com/hellokitty).

At Target Stores and target.com:   Starting September 26, Target will launch a 50th Anniversary program that will include Target exclusive product.  A microsite (target.com/sanrio) will launch the same day and carry products available at Target stores, as well as a limited edition offering of six exclusive items from the Small Gift mobile pop-up tour.  One new item will be available each week beginning October 23. The microsite will also list the tour dates and cities.

About Sanrio

Sanrio, best known for global icon Hello Kitty® and home to many more endearing characters including Chococat®, My Melody®, and Keroppi®, is celebrating its 50th Anniversary this year.  August 2010 marks the golden anniversary for the worldwide lifestyle brand that was founded on the "small gift, big smile®" philosophy -- that a small gift can bring a big smile to people of all ages. Today, over 50,000 Sanrio-branded items are sold in over 70 countries around the world. In the Western Hemisphere SANRIO character-branded products are sold in upwards of 12,000 locations including department, specialty, national chain stores and over 95 Sanrio boutiques. For more information, please visit www.sanrio.com.

About Target

Minneapolis-based Target Corporation serves guests at 1,743 stores in 49 states nationwide and at Target.com. Target is committed to providing a fun and convenient shopping experience with access to unique and highly differentiated products at affordable prices. Since 1946, the corporation has given 5 percent of its income through community grants and programs, like Take Charge of Education. Today, that giving equals more than $3 million a week. For more information about Target's commitment to corporate responsibility, visit Target.com/hereforgood.

SOURCE Sanrio