April 2018, Kickstart Energy Drink to Be Released in Japan

It has been revealed that Kickstart, the famous energy line from Mountain Dew in the United States, will be released in Japan. Recently, Kickstart has been gradually launched in countries outside of the U.S., and it feels like it has finally arrived in Japan.

⇒ Review of Kickstart Energy Drink Grape here

Overview of Kickstart Release in Japan

Release Date: April 10, 2018 (Tuesday)
Location: Nationwide vending machines only
Volume: 350ml
Price: 170 yen
Expiration Date: 10 months
Flavor: Grape (less than 10% fruit juice)

It seems that it will only be available in vending machines. Considering that convenience stores, which are already saturated with other energy drinks, might find it difficult to sell more, it may be easier to secure space for Kickstart in Suntory's own vending machines and sell it all at once.

With the release in April and the press release mentioning that the name "KICK Start" (literal translation: "Start") expresses the desire to push through when you need that extra effort, it seems like they may target new students and new employees starting the new fiscal year.
The concept of "one more push" is a very Japanese idea for energy drinks, and it’s intriguing (^_^;)

Design and Other Details of Kickstart in Japan

The flavor is grape, which is a familiar taste in Japanese sodas. I’m curious about how it compares to the Midnight Grape flavor in the U.S.

The can size will be 350ml, which is common in Japan. Compared to 473ml or 355ml, it seems somewhat less appealing or off in some way. In Australia, three flavors were released in 355ml cans in spring 2017 with the same design as in the U.S. It would have been great if Japan followed that design.

However, in terms of pricing, it seems to strike a good balance. A 355ml Monster Energy can costs 200 yen, so Kickstart is priced more affordably at 170 yen, and at that volume, it’s easy to drink without overdoing it. I’d choose this over the 500ml products priced around 200 yen since I’m reluctant to buy 500ml cans unless the flavor is really good.

The design is primarily black with purple accents, but it feels simpler compared to the original Kickstart design.

I think it could have had a bit more color, just like the original, but I’m hoping that Japan will introduce more flavors, expanding into a colorful series.

Campaign Before Kickstart's Release

Campaign Overview

Application Period: March 7, 2018 (Wednesday) 9:00 AM to March 19, 2018 (Monday) 11:59 PM
Prize: Kickstart (350ml can) 2-can set for 500 winners

How to Apply

1. Follow Suntory's official Twitter account, @suntory
2. Tweet with the hashtag '＃キックスタート飲んでみたい'

You will not be eligible if you unfollow or apply from a private account. Shipping dates and other details haven’t been announced yet, but they should be provided by the campaign's start date. Since it's Suntory, I expect prompt shipping and response.
※New information will be added as it becomes available.

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