Sanrio, the global lifestyle brand and creator of character icon Hello Kitty, is celebrating its 50th year in business this year. In the U.K., Fluid World will initiate events and collaborations to mark the milestone and will launch six more Sanrio characters to the market.

Licensing programs for My Melody, Keroppi, CharmmyKitty, Chococat, Badtz Maru and Kuromi, who are hugely popular in Japan, have never officially launched in the U.K., although recent product trials in Claire's Accessories across Europe have shown positive signs. Now Fluid World will manage their licensing programs in the U.K. and will debut the characters to the trade on Sept. 9 at The Licensing Awards. The consumer products will launch this October with a select range of gift items, followed by a full product range in autumn/winter 2011.  

Fluid World's strategy will be to position the characters under a Sanrio umbrella brand so that consumers make the connection between them, Hello Kitty and Sanrio as a corporate entity.

"Consumer appetite for Hello Kitty across all ages and demographics is insatiable," says Libby Grant, brand director at Fluid World. "The time is now right to take what we have learned from Hello Kitty, respond to consumer and industry demand and extend the Sanrio family by launching these six additional and highly collectible quirky characters which we believe have something to offer everyone."