The talk of the town in the early part of the year was Asahi Beer’s chu-hai “Mirai no Lemon Sour” (to be released in June). When you remove the lid of the fully open can, lemon slices float inside. I think it’s audacious to name it like this, but it’s certain that the latest processing technology has been incorporated.
Originally, to make an impact on customers during the net trial sales, they used the catchphrase “This is the Lemon Sour of the Future.” It was well received, so they adopted it as it is.
Yahho Brewing is particular about naming alcoholic beverages. “Shoki no Satan,” with an alcohol content of 0.7%, which they launched in August 22, also seems like a cliché name. Since the alcohol content is less than 1%, it was named so because you can “keep your sanity” even after drinking it.
“Satan” also plays on the phrase “Shoki no sata,” meaning “a matter of sanity,” and also implies devilishly good taste. Although it is a company in which Kirin Brewery is a major shareholder, the other day they held a collaboration event with Asahi Beer on “micro-alcohol.” It’s truly an unexpected development, isn’t it?
Even serious supermarkets are going for clichés. For some reason, until recently, many product names derived from “Antonio Inoki” have appeared in the displays of Berg, which has a strong presence in Saitama Prefecture. It seems to be the president’s hobby, and under the theme of Antonio Inoki’s 80th birthday, they launched unique naming strategies.
Emotions of Inoki fans overflow with products like “Cobra Twist” where sausages coil like a cobra, “As If Slicing the Medulla Oblongata! Mix Mix Bibimbap Salad,” and “Pork with Kimchi Ali Kick! Kimbap-style Thick Roll.”
Explaining that “With the declining population, the aim is to build a future customer base, including the Z generation,” but the Z generation probably doesn’t know much about Inoki. However, it sold better than expected, and customers seem to be firmly “hooked” on the “technique.
Source : Nikkei 26th Jan 2024.