Chaigo was created by Kenji Chai in 2013, inspired by his experience returning home from work and seeing stray dogs hit by cars. This reminded him of his own struggle to pursue his dream as an artist, facing a lack of support and discouragement from friends and relatives. He saw stray dogs as symbols of strong, independent survival and realized the importance of passion in achieving dreams. To share this message, he began drawing smiley dog faces on streets to bring joy to others.
Over time, many brands like ASICS, Adidas, Crocs, Uniqlo, Rip Curl, JBL, Chun Yang, Ray-Ban, Vans, Tiger Beer, Boldr, Pestle and Mortar, TNT CO, Goodtimes, Wheel Love, and others collaborated with him. He also shared Chaigo’s story as a speaker at TED Talk Petaling Street.
