Kimoji Explained

Kimoji was a smartphone app with Kim Kardashian-themed pictograms. It was top seller on the Apple App Store and spawned a cottage industry of celebrity emoji apps.

Content

The Kimoji app gave users a custom selection of over 250[1] Kim Kardashian-themed emojis and animated GIFs to use in messaging apps. Many of the icons are sexual in nature, depicting Kardashian's breasts and butt,[2] but others include Kardashian crying, hearts, doughnuts, and kisses. Later additions included sexualized images such as an animated handprint slapped on a butt and an intimate couple in a shower.[3]

Development

Kardashian promoted the app on Instagram and Twitter the day of its launch, December 21, 2015.[4] Kardashian said the project was in development for almost two years.[5]

Reception and legacy

At its launch, the app had 9,000 downloads each second. The app earned $1 million per minute despite having mediocre initial App Store ratings.[6] [7] The Kimoji trademark led to a merchandise campaign selling products including pool floats, Post-it notes shaped like Kardashian's butt,[8] fragrances, and smartphone accessories.[9]

Kimoji spawned a cottage industry of celebrity emoji apps in 2016, including Steph Curry's StephMoji, Justin Bieber's Justmoji, Amber Rose's MuvaMoji, and Hillary Clinton's Hillarymoji. Like Kimoji, StephMoji was a top-selling app on the Apple App Store.[10] A web developer who considered Kimoji a societal ill created parody emoji based on North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un.[11] Some of its illustrations mock Kimoji.[12]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Fingas . Jon . Kim Kardashian cashes in with her own emoji app . . 2015-12-21 . en-US . 2021-09-06 . mdy-all .
  2. News: Hess . Amanda . Hands Off My Smiley Face: Emoji Become Corporate Tools . . 2016-06-20 . en-US . 0362-4331 . mdy-all .
  3. Web site: Kimoji Update: See the NSWF New Entries . . 2016-06-01 . en . 2021-09-06 . mdy-all .
  4. Web site: Gallagher . Danny . You can now use Kim Kardashian's butt to express your soul's yearnings . CNET . 2015-12-21 . en . 2021-09-06 . mdy-all .
  5. Web site: Kardashian . Kim . The Making of My Kimojis . Kim Kardashian West . https://web.archive.org/web/20170503230815/https://www.kimkardashianwest.com/behind-the-scenes/523-kim-kardashian-making-my-kimojis/ . 2021-09-06 . May 3, 2017 . mdy-all .
  6. Web site: Knibbs . Kate . Kim Kardashian Says Her App Broke the App Store, Apple Disagrees . . 2015-12-23 . en-us . 2021-09-06 . mdy-all .
  7. Web site: Olanoff . Drew . Kim Kardashian's Buttmoji Owns The App Store . . 2015-12-22 . en-US . 2021-09-06 . mdy-all .
  8. News: Caramanica . Jon . You Won't Have to Wait in Line for Micromerch . . 2018-04-17 . en-US . 0362-4331 . mdy-all .
  9. Web site: Martinez-Keel . Kardashian West sued in OKC court over use of Kimoji images, merchandise . Oklahoman.com . 2019-02-13 . en-US . 2021-09-06 . mdy-all .
  10. Web site: Reisinger . Don . Forget the Kimoji and Buy Some Hillarymoji for Your iPhone . . 2016-07-01 . en . 2021-09-06 . mdy-all .
  11. News: Kim Jong-un emojis take on Kim Kardashian Kimoji . BBC News . 2016-02-12 . en-GB . mdy-all .
  12. News: Olivennes . Hannah . Emoji Maker Finds Muse in a Kim: Jong-un, Not Kardashian West . . 2016-02-12 . en-US . 0362-4331 . mdy-all .