With her cute pink bow and huge noggin, Hello Kitty is one of the most recognizable characters in the world. She sells billions of dollars worth of merchandise, but what is it about this simple cartoon cat that makes her such a beloved piece of pop culture? Ahead of her time when first created in 1974, we think that Hello Kitty used minimalism's bag of tricks to become the world's best salesgirl. New Idea Channel episodes every other Wednesday!!! Let us know what sorts of crazy ideas you have, about this episode and otherwise: Tweet at us! @pbsideachannel (yes, the longest twitter username ever) Email us! pbsideachannel [at] gmail [dot] com Hosted by Mike Rugnetta (@mikerugnetta) Made by Kornhaber Brown (http://www.kornhaberbrown.com/) Want some more Idea Channel? Watch our previous episode: "Is Instagram The Best Thing To Ever Happen To Photography?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nBw589H2XwI Here's another one: "Are Lolcats & Internet Memes Art?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9Zyswk07vg Want more fun? Watch: "Is Miku Hatsune A More Authentic Pop Star Than Lana Del Rey?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3c8STXjQ20 You still want more? Awesome! Watch our first episode: "Super Mario Brother is the World's Greatest Piece of Surrealist Art" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2bAN9pPeiE