High-resolusion image

Suntory Beverage & Food Limited (SBF) announces the nationwide launch of a new lineup in the Orangina brand, Lemongina, which will hit stores on March 31, 2015 (Tuesday).

Orangina is a carbonated beverage containing fruit juice that has been a long-time favorite since it was first introduced in France in 1936. The drink was launched in Japan in 2012 and is popular for its fresh orange flavor and natural bitterness that is derived from orange peel extract. The product has exhibited continuous growth since its launch in the Japanese market. In 2014, sales volume rose 6% year-on-year.

Lemongina was jointly developed with the Orangina Schweppes Group (Orangina), an SBF group company. Japan will be the first market globally to launch Lemongina, a carbonated beverage with a new sensation that allows you to enjoy the delicious flavor of fruits. The introduction of new flavored product will help to convey the appeal of the Orangina brand to wider audience.

●Characteristics of the product’s flavor

While exchanging ideas with Orangina, we began to focus on citronnade* (lemonade), a well-known lemon soft drink among consumers in France. We stationed our flavor researchers in France for more than two years to carry out development with local staff, which possessed technical expertise that was nurtured over many years, and took hints from the flavor of citronnade. By utilizing the knowhow of Orangina, which is well-versed in citrus juice beverages, we were able to remove the bitter substances from the lemon peel and extract only the substance that gives lemons their rich aroma. We successfully developed a proprietary lemon peel extract that suits the taste buds of Japanese consumers. This proprietary peel extract is used to give the carbonated beverage a true lemon juice aroma. In addition to lemons, grapefruit and orange juice has been blended in to achieve a deep flavor similar to eating whole fruit.
* Citronnade is the French version of lemonade. It is a popular soft drink in France owing to its at-home flavor which families can enjoy in their garden while relaxing on the weekends or during the height of summer.

●Package characteristics

An originally designed bottle, unique to the Orangina brand, will be used. The cap and label will be green, based on the image of a lush green garden where one might drink citronnade. In addition, the logo will be in the shape of a lemon and the letters that spell out “Sparkling” will express the characteristics of its taste.

--   Memo   --

▼Product overview

▼Release date        March 31, 2015 (Tuesday)

▼Region        Nationwide

▼Orangina website (Japanese only)
　　http://orangina.jp/