Story of Pocari Sweat
About 40 years ago, an Otsuka researcher with a dream of
developing an unprecedented new beverage was on a business trip to Mexico, when
he was hospitalized due to diarrhea. The doctor told him to get enough water
and nutrition, and handed him a carbonated beverage. The researcher thought
that it would be nice to have a drink that could supply both water and
nutrients he needed.
Then in 1973, the same researcher saw a doctor drinking an
I.V. solution to rehydrate himself after finishing surgery. That is when he got
the idea for a drinkable I.V. solution. With this inspiration, Otsuka
researchers began to develop a rehydration beverage that could replenish the water
and electrolytes (ions) lost while sweating during daily activities. This idea
came naturally to him as he was working in a leading company in the I.V.
solutions business.
Three years later in 1976, society had become more health
conscious and jogging was all the rage. Rather than developing a sports drink,
the researchers sought to create a health beverage for everyone in situations
where they sweat. Otsuka researchers continued R&D on health beverages that
could be enjoyed during daily activities.
Through this work, the Otsuka researchers found that there
are different kinds of sweat. They also found that the concentration of salt in
everyday sweat is lower than in sweat that occurs during sports activity. Based
on these findings, the researchers tried to create a beverage to replenish the
body fluid after regular everyday perspiration. However, it was quite bitter,
and did not taste good.
Using a process of trial and error, the researchers came up
with over 1,000 trial products, but still the taste was not satisfactory. Then
they thought about combining some of the rejected drinks. So they mixed a trial
rehydration drink with a citrus powder juice that was also being developed in
the lab at the same time. Suddenly the bitter taste was gone, and a great tasting
beverage was born. Through this combination that no one had ever considered
before, the development of this unique drink took a big leap forward.
The research continued, and finally two test products were
prepared: one with high sugar content and one with low sugar content. At that
time, sweet juice-style beverages were the norm. Many of the researchers
thought that the sweetness of the test beverage was not sufficient. However, in
order to test the product concept to develop a drink that tastes great
especially after sweating, the researchers did not rely on their common sense —
in fact, one of them actually climbed a mountain to try out the test products
for himself. Then, he realized that the lightly sweetened test product was
easier to drink.
This field test shaped the final taste decision.
The unprecedented rehydration drink, POCARI SWEAT, was
launched in 1980. However, even after trying it, many people did not understand
the concept of the new beverage, and the taste did not seem to be catching on
either.
Despite this initial setback, Otsuka Pharmaceutical did not
give up. In order to convey the new rehydration drink concept, employees
visited venues where people were likely to perspire. While telling consumers of
the importance of rehydration, they had them actually try POCARI SWEAT in these
situations. Free samples of POCARI SWEAT eventually reached the level of 30
million bottles.
In the summer two years after the launch, POCARI SWEAT
suddenly broke through as a major hit product. The concept had finally taken
hold. Otsuka had succeeded in developing a completely new market, namely, a
rehydration beverage specifically designed for consumption after sweating.
In 2013, a new version of the POCARI SWEAT product was
launched. POCARI SWEAT ION WATER offers a light sweetness, a refreshing taste,
and reduced calories.
POCARI SWEAT ION WATER product site
(in Japanese)
The POCARI SWEAT logo was designed to convey the idea of
replenishment of water and electrolytes (ions) as well as the speed of
absorption. Blue was adopted for the package, even though it was considered
taboo for beverage products in Japan at the time. This was a result of the
designer’s belief that the design expresses the product’s essential qualities,
as well as the president of Otsuka’s determination that the design should
convey the product concept.
In regard to the name POCARI SWEAT, “sweat” was utilized in
order to make the concept unmistakable, and “pocari” is a catchy word that
conveys the image of a refreshing blue sky in Japanese.
The containers for POCARI SWEAT have continued to evolve in
order to support not just the health of people, but the planet as well. The
weight of the 500 ml and 900 ml eco-bottles has been reduced by about 30%
compared to conventional plastic bottles. Thus, POCARI SWEAT is a health drink
that evolved through consideration of the well-being of both people and the
planet..
This article is taken from https://www.otsuka.co.jp/en/company/business/rehydration/pocarisweat/
And this is the link that you can watch the story of Pocari Sweat. Hope you all can gain some motivation from the video.
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