Among the new beverage releases this month, refreshing flavors feature prominently in soft drinks such as the Limon & Nada premium lemonade from Minute Maid (Coca-Cola Japan).
The beverage concept is an import from Spain, where Limon & Nada was made a permanent Minute Maid offering by popular demand after its original limited-time debut in summer 2007. The word “limonada” (lemonade in Spanish) is also a play on words, broken down into “limon” (lemon) and “nada” (nothing) — suggesting, at least, that the beverage contains nothing but lemons. (It does claim to be preservatives-free.)
The marketing campaign in Japan is similar to the Spanish original, using a lemon animated with a black pen, although the Japanese version plays up the beverage’s “Spanish” origins. Online marketing includes a “radio station from Spain” promoting its “pressure-free way of life”, and the label features a cartoon of a bikini-clad girl sun-bathing against a lemon.
It’s all very reminiscent of Kirin’s World Kitchen lineup of drinks “inspired by” countries including Spain, Italy and France, and is clearly part of the “Armchair Explorers” trend of importing exotic influences to spice-up consumers’ daily routines.
The original Limon & Nada, from Spain
Other fruity flavors in new summer beverages include a sparkling lemon version of Healthya, the wellness beverage brand from Kao; a passion fruit flavor Lipton ice tea from Unilever Japan; and Muscat & Apple Juice from Ohayo Milk.
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