Five by Fifty » flavors

Spanish Summer Citrus

Sat, 23 May 2009 08:14:49 +0000

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.

To find out how Five by Fifty helps its clients innovate in the beverage sector, contact us.

KitKat Lemon

Mon, 19 Jan 2009 14:03:21 +0000

Nestle has released a new KitKat item, with a lemon juice nuance. Released ahead of Valentine’s Day, copy on the package encourages buyers to “give it to someone special.”

Learn more:
Other Nestle Products
Kit Kat Official Site (Japanese)

Häagen-Dazs Premium Chocolates

Thu, 15 Jan 2009 14:03:13 +0000

In time for Valentine’s Day, Häagen-Dazs Japan has released limited editions of premium chocolates, made with couverture chocolate supplied by Belgian maker Barry Callebaut.

Learn more:
Other Suntory Products
Häagen-Dazs Japan Official Site (Japanese)

Cafe de Paris Chocolate

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:02:27 +0000

In time for Valentine’s Day, Japanese wine maker Mercian has released a new sparkling wine in its “Cafe de Paris” series, which a chocolate flavor complemented by a slight caramel nuance. The 200ml bottle is sold with a gift box.

Learn more:
Other Suntory Products
Mercian Official Site (Japanese

Whiskey and Chocolate

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 05:37:01 +0000

Lotte and Suntory have collaborated to release a chocolate bar flavored with premium 12 year old single malt Suntory whiskey from Yamazaki Prefecture. In time for Valentine’s Day, a gift set including a bar of the chocolate and a miniature bottle of Yamazaki 12 Year, is being released for a limited time.

Learn more:
Other Lotte Products
Other Suntory Products
Suntory Official Site (Japanese)

Morinaga Strawberry Fondue Dars

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 05:20:05 +0000

Morinaga has released a “Strawberry Fondue” flavor in its Dars chocolate line. Morinaga is releasing a number of strawberry-based sweets in January and February as part of its “Strawberry Fair” campaign.

Learn more:
Other Morinaga Products
Morinaga Official Site (Japanese

Maruchan Ramen Udon

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 06:21:34 +0000

Toyo Suisan has released a new flavor in its Maruchan instant noodle line, which made with a pork bone and shellfish broth usually used for ramen noodle, but mixed with udon noodles in this instant version. The product aims to recreate the taste of an authentic ramen shop.

Learn more:
Other Toyo Suisan Products
Maruchan Official Site (Japanese)

Super Cup Instant Noodles

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 04:02:15 +0000

Acecook has released two new instant cup noodle products in their new “Super Cup” series, which has 50% greater volume than other instant noodle meals from the company, and have a richer taste to appeal to slightly older consumers. The products are targeting male consumers in their late teens to mid-twenties. The flavors are pork broth, and chigae (Korean kimchi stew).

Learn more:
Other Acecook Products
Acecook Official Site (Japanese)

Asian Cup Noodle

Tue, 13 Jan 2009 03:40:20 +0000

Acecook has released two new instant cup noodle products, “Singapore Curry Soup” and “Saigon Pho”. The instant soups are based on Southeast Asian cuisine, which is currently popular in Japan, but they have been made less spicy to suit Japanese tastes.

Learn more:
Other Acecook Products
Acecook Official Site (Japanese)

Morinaga Strawberry Chocolate

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 05:18:58 +0000

Morinaga has released a new chocolate stick snack that is flavored with European grown strawberries. The product name “Ko-eda” means “twig” in Japanese.

Learn more:
Other Morinaga Products
Morinaga Official Site (Japanese