Hello Kitty

Cultural references
In 1999, in Hong Kong, a brutal murder known as the Hello Kitty murder took place. The popular name the case derives from the fact that the murderer inserted his victim's head into a Hello Kitty doll after decapitating her.
As August 2007, Thai police ficers who have committed minor transgressions such as showing up late or parking in the wrong place are forced to wear pink Hello Kitty armbands for several days as penance.
During the financial crisis 2007–2010, a poster a Hello Kitty pre-paid debit card expanded to roughly 1 meter in length was displayed on the floor the US Senate by Senator Byron Dorgan as a demonstration extreme methods used by credit companies to attract "children 10 to 14 years age". Though not an actual credit card, it was criticized for its promotional website encouraging users to "shop 'til you drop."