Ohiya: The Art of Making Friends!

I recently heard about a company called Ohiya, as in Oh hi ya! I was intrigued by the incredibly awesome name and by the cute characters their merchandise portrays. So they sent me a little informational package (the package itself was even plastered with adorable creations!) Even just getting the package in the mail made me smile because of how amazing it already looked. And that was just on the outside.

Enclosed in my care package were these items:

• A letter written by the creator and art designer, Jason Tharp.
• A picture of a pink unicorn delightfully telling me “hi!”
• Several stickers
• Several button pins
• An Ohiya postcard
• A personalized Hi Ninja Cat card from the designer

Lets start with the slogan and meaning behind this company.

Ohiya, the art of making friends. LOVE IT. In a world where people don’t say “hi” enough, the creator and artist, Jason Tharp, is striving to create a place where fun and friendship rules. As he puts it,

“Ohiya is a magical land I’ve created that’s inhabited by incredibly cute, lovably crass, but always friendly characters that carry a message of friendship and fun.”

I think its great. There is too much anger in this world, and all of the characters created by Ohiya are full of love and positive motivation. And Ohiya is right, sometimes simply saying “Hi” can break down those personal barriers to make way for long-lasting friendships and love in the world. Frankly, I like seeing a company that has such an international message and one that can apply to pretty much everyone.

On to the superficial stuff. All the characters in the world of Ohiya are amazingly cute and easy to love. There is something there for everyone to love. From stuffed animals to stickers and t-shirts even the more stubborn people can find something they like (and love!).

My definite favorite is the Koki Plush. I love cats, I love zombies, and I can’t see any reason I wouldn’t want that combined into a cute green stuffed animal! It may seems scary at first, but that cat plush is only terrifyingly cute (and I’m guessing just in need of a good hug!)

If you are a fan of the Zombie genre of movies, books, and games then you will love a lot of the merchandise from Ohiya.  The “I Heart Brains” Bunzi tee is adorable with its white bunny cheerfully munching a brain popsicle. It will simultaneously show your love for bunnies and brains to all your friends.

I even love the stickers and pin/buttons they sent me. I am a big fan of minimalist designs, and these stickers and buttons do the trick. They are super cute, and even though I am not in school anymore, I have the urge to stick them to every binder I own and pin the buttons on something! As a personal fan of the zombie genre, I have to say the “looking for zombuddy to love” sticker is my favorite sticker of the entire collection.  It is loveable and pun-tastic.

So truly, Ohiya is now one of my favorite companies. I love the message behind it, I love the art of it, and I love the obvious pride the creator takes in it. (And I can never resist cute zombie animals eating brains like popsicles.)

You can learn more about Ohiya at Ohiyafriends.com and you can see some additional images below:

These are the pins I received in my care package

Two of the stickers I received