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Japan's energy drink makers seek to lift sinking sales

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TV commercials for the product feature Atsuko Maeda, a former member of all-girl idol group AKB48, showing her in everyday situations like working out at the gym or lazing around on a sofa, a far cry from the muscular, rock climbing men in advertisements for the long-selling Lipovitan brand.

Sexist comment in my opinion. Let's get real. Women bust their butts off just as much as men, and many times even more than men.

Laying around on a sofa? Slap that "b " upside her head for letting her "image" be used to down play the role of women in TODAY's Japan!

0 ( +7 / -7 )

What's happened is that younger people have switched in droves to products like Red Bull and Monster, which are probably far worse for you than the "traditional" Japanese energy boosters.

13 ( +14 / -1 )

What's happened is that younger people have switched in droves to products like Red Bull and Monster, which are probably far worse for you than the "traditional" Japanese energy boosters.

Common misconception is that these two drinks sold here in Japan are different than in the US or other places. For the same product to be sold here, it would have to be marked as a pharmaceutical product due to the ingredients.

So they are not the same thing, and not as good, nor bad, as the Japanese energy drinks.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Snake oil for the most part. No wonder sales are declining.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

It's not snake oil. It has B-6 and B-12 and isn't loaded with sugar and caffeine like the US drinks.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Maybe if they drop the prices and introduce bigger bottles?  Always worth a try..

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Just like American versions, they came out with too many varieties riding on product popularity and this is just the post boom phase where only good competitors will win.

It's what happens after product markets mature. Not to mention these things are awful for your health if consumed too frequently.

6 ( +6 / -0 )

Monster, Red Bull, probably this one in the article as well as most other energy drinks will kill you young. It has always amazed me how they are the ones sponsoring many of the extreme sports athletes on the west and how arr successful they are at it.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Irrelevant TV commercials are the main cause of sinking sales. Very confusing.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

It's not snake oil. It has B-6 and B-12 and isn't loaded with sugar and caffeine like the US drinks.

Agreed. I used to drink MJ Regain when i was feeling sluggish and exhausted. That stuff greatly improved my concentration and vitality. But i wouldnt recommend drinking it too often, this stuff can never be too healthy. Lets not even talk about cr*pbull and monster

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Thanks to all the "extreme" sports and music sponsorship, people think Red Bull and Monster are cool. I look at them as glorified Coca-Cola. They sell at much higher prices than Coke, so I won't buy them. The cool kids for me are the skateboarders who reject all the corporate BS with their "Drink Water" t-shirts.

The strongest of the genki drinks have very high levels of caffeine, much higher than Red Bull, and do wake you up, albeit for a short time. The one I used to use years ago was called "Bessen Tea" (not "D") that has 200mg of caffeine, about three cups of coffee and two and a half times what you get in Red Bull. It comes with two bottles in a box, so the temptation is also there to neck both at once if you've just done a drink to the first train allnighter.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Snake oil indeed.  High caffeine is the only thing that gives a bit of a boost.  all the rest is vitamins which are of dubious efficacy.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Does anyone know why the Red Bull and Monster in Japan doesn't contain any taurine? I think it is due to them not being classed as actual suppliments like the Japanese versions, but I'm not 100% sure.

Either way the replacement they use in the red bull and monster, makes my heart race compared to the taurine version.

But then saying that, I think it would be nearly a year since last had any "energy" drinks

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Useless drinks. Water, coffee or coke in a while. Away from ripp-off of baby bottles.((not sold by the litre, why?)

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The ultimate energy drink is freshly roasted ground coffee!

Green tea is my second. Then for an immune booster, a teaspoon of ground turmeric, a teaspoon of ground ginger in a liter of water. Shake it up and drink slowly over a couple of hours. True energy comes from pure ingredients not sugar filled drinks with extracts of elements only containing partial nutrients but labeled to contain pure plant ingredients. Extracts have only take out what pharmacist think are the most important. Whole food and whole plant is where true vitality lies.

I went to the big city last weekend and was astonished at how many young people were walking and drinking Monsters! hhahahahahhahahahahahah

Its like hamburgers, those made at home with lean ground beef (no fillers), freshly bake buns and fresh veggies are very healthy. Fast food is not! So the misconceptions come from companies marketing products to do wonders when in truth we need to go back to the farm for good health.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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