Pepsi…Vader or pirates?

Once again, Pepsi Japan is offering special collectors’ edition bottles and cans.

Starting last October 23rd (2012), Pepsi Japan started selling 「エナジーコーラ」 (“Energy Cola”) for a limited time in cans with an image of fire and Darth Vader from the Star Wars movies.

Energy Cola contains five ingredients that are meant to boost energy:
Royal jelly, argenine, asian ginseng, guarana extract and caffeine.

And in late November (2012), they began offering their NEX cola in bottles with images from the Japanese マンガ (manga comics) called “One Piece“.

Which would you choose?

Gundam Pepsi

In Japan, Pepsi-Cola offers many different flavors and other campaigns.
Click here to look at all of the different posts I’ve written about the various flavors and other gimmicks Pepsi has offered in Japan.

And Gundam is popular in Japan. There is a life-size Gundam robot, Gundam cafe, Gundam cell-phones and many other Gundam-related campaigns in Japan.
Click here to see the posts I’ve written related to Gundam.

Of course, Gundam and Pepsi have teamed up.
Click here to see a post I’ve written about it.

Well, they’ve teamed up again.

Currently Pepsi-Cola in Japan is selling their cola in cans decorated with Gundam characters.

Here are the cans:

Salty Watermelon

I have written posts about some of the unique, only-in-Japan flavors that Pepsi-Cola (and other companies including Kit-Kat and Coca-Cola) here.

If you want to see those posts, enter “Pepsi” in my blog’s Search box (or click here).

Well, watermelon is very popular in Japan in the summertime. And some people put salt on their watermelon to enhance it’s natural taste.
I tell you that in order to help you understand Pepsi Japan‘s latest flavor…

「塩スイカ」 (“Salty Watermelon”).

Pepsi 「塩スイカ」 (“Salty Watermelon”)…only in Japan

Pepsi’s 「塩スイカ」 (“Salty Watermelon”) is scheduled to go on sale in Japan beginning 2012 July 24th.

Kit-Kat helped Tohoku

In Japan, Kit-Kat offers many unique only-in-Japan flavors.

( I wrote a post about some of the Kit-Kat Japan flavors.)

But one of their recent products was for a special cause…the “Kit-Kat World Variety” went on sale in Japan last March and ¥20 from each package sold went toward the rebuilding of the Sanriku train line (in Tohoku, Japan) which was destroyed in the 2011 March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

“Kit-Kat World Variety”

What makes Kit-Kat “World Variety” unique is that the package contains thirteen Kit-Kat chocolates…three are from Japan, five are from Australia and the other five are from England…this is because chocolate is made slightly differently in every country around the world and therefore tastes differently.

In addition to donating to the reconstruction of the train line, Kit-Kat also asked people from around the world to visit their Facebook page and leave messages of hope to the people of Tohoku  who were affected by the disaster…and many of those messages were displayed on the body of the new trains for the Sanriku line.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Another new only-in-Japan “junkfood” product will be by Pepsi Japan soon.

Last December, Pepsi Japan offered “Pepsi Pink“.  And, next month, they will begin selling “Pepsi Black“.

This drink will contain 50% less sugar and will have a “lemon flavor”.

New Pepsi Star Wars collectables

A little over three years ago Pepsi Japan, in collaboration with Be@rbrick, gave away Star Wars toys with purchase of Pepsi NEX.
I wrote a post about that campaign…click here to read it.

That campaign was to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of the first Star Wars movie in Japan.

Well, in about two weeks the new Star Wars 3-D movie will be in theaters in Japan.
In honor of that, Pepsi Japan is once again giving away Star Wars character toys with the purchase of Pepsi NEX.
This time the toys are made by Panson Works.

Pink Pepsi

I have written posts a few times before about some of the unusual “only-in-Japan” flavors of Pepsi and Kit-Kats that are often sold here.

Well, the latest Pepsi flavor is 「ペプシ・ピンク」 (“Pepsi　Pink“).

It’s strawberry and milk flavored! I have no interest in trying this…but my daughters have tried it and they said they liked it.

Does Pepsi sell anything like this in your country? Would you buy it?

Caribbean Gold

Pepsi-Cola in Japan often releases temporary, original “only-in-Japan”. I have written posts about some of them, for example:

Pepsi-Dry,
Mont Blanc,
Baobab,
Pepsi Azuki,
Pepsi Shiso, and
Ice Cucumber.

Well, now Pepsi Japan‘s newest flavor is “Caribbean Gold“.

Pepsi Japan's "Caribbean Gold"

Have you tried any of the Pepsi flavors in Japan? Does Pepsi or Coca-Cola offer unique flavors in your country?

Mont Blanc in Japan

Do you know Mont Blanc?
It’s the French name of the highest mountain in the European Alps. “Mont Blanc” means “White Mountain”.

Mont Blanc

Did you know that there is a pastry dessert in France called “Mont Blanc“?
This dessert is extremely popular in Japan. It suits Japanese people’s tastes.
In Japan, the dessert is called 「モンブラン」 (“Mon-Blan“), which is probably the way it pronounced in French.

Have you ever tried a 「モンブラン」 (“Mon-Blan“) pastry? It’s a cake made from chestnuts with a whipped cream topping and usually has chestnuts on top. It’s pretty good.

「モンブラン」 ("Mon-Blan") dessert

Well, now Pepsi Japan has another new flavor…「モンブラン」 (“Mon-Blan“). It supposedly tastes similar to the dessert.

Pepsi Japan's newest flavor...「モンブラン」 ("Mont Blanc")

In Japan, Pepsi Cola often releases unusual cola flavors (occasionally Coca-Cola Japan does too).
Click here to read my post about other Pepsi flavors in Japan.

Japan’s newest Pepsi flavor

Both Pepsi and Coca-Cola in Japan often sell their products in unique “Japan only” flavors (so does Kit-Kat in Japan).

I’ve written posts about:
Pepsi Azuki,
Pepsi Shiso
and a couple other flavors of Pepsi and Coke in Japan.

Well, Pepsi is an official sponsor of the “2010 Soccer World Cup” which will be hosted by South Africa this summer.
I’m not a big soccer fan. In fact, the first time I had even heard of the “World Cup” was when Japan co-hosted it with South Korea in 2002.

But in honor of the 2010 World Cup, on 2010 May 25, Pepsi will be selling a new product here in Japan called 「ペプシ・バオバブ」 (“Pepsi Baobab“).

「ペプシバオバブ」 ("Pepsi Baobab")

According to Wikipedia, the Baobab is an unusual looking tree (a picture of one is on the “Pepsi Baobab” label) native to Africa.
Supposedly, the fruit is extremely healthy.
I’ve never heard of it before and I have no idea how the fruit tastes…but maybe I’ll try this new Pepsi flavor once it goes on sale just out of curiosity.

The ad for 「ペプシバオバブ」 (“Pepsi Baobab”) has eight soccer players named ロシアのアルシャビン (“Arshavin” of Russia), ドイツのバラック (“Ballack” of Germany), スぺインのトーレス (“Torres” of Spain), コートジポワールのドログバ (“Drogba” of Côte d’Ivoire), ブラジルのカカー (“Kaka” of Brazil), フランスのアンリ (“Henry” of France), アルゼンチンのメッシ (“Mercier” of Argentina) and イングランドのランパード (“Lampard” of England).

Ad for 「ペプシバオバブ」 ("Pepsi Baobab")

Also, 「マウンテンデゥー」 (“Mountain Dew“) is owned by Pepsi and in Japan they’re currently selling their drink in cans decorated with characters from the 「メタルギアソリッドピースウォーカー」 (“Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker“) game series.

Ad for the "Mountain Dew" / "Metal Gear" limited edition cans

And, I have written posts about the cell-phone straps that often come with purchases of “Pepsi NEX” in Japan.
For example…
the Samurai straps,  the Snoopy straps,  and the Star Wars Be@rbricks.

(I have written posts about other Be@rbrick characters in Japan besides the Star Wars ones before:
the MOS Burger Be@rbricks,  and the KISS Be@rbrick).

Well, Pepsi NEX has teamed up with Be@rbrick again.
Now, with purchases of Pepsi NEX in Japan, they’re offering bear cell-phone straps in the likeness of famous characters from “Paramount Studios” movies.

Such as: 「ヒックとドラゴン」 (“How To Train Your Dragon”), 「シュレック」 (“Shrek”), 「マダガスカル」 (“Magadascar”), 「モンスターVSエイリアン」 (“Monsters vs Aliens”), 「トランスフォーマー」 (“Transformers”), “Top Gun”, 「サタデー・ナイト・フィーバー」 (“Saturday Night Fever”), 「フラッシュダンス」 (“Flashdance”), 「ビバリーヒルズ・コップ」　(“Beverly Hills Cop”), 「レッド・オクトーバーを追え!」 (“The Hunt For Red October”) and “The Godfather”.

Ad for "Pepsi NEX" / Paramount Japan Be@rbricks

Pepsi Samurai

Pepsi-Cola Japan is has a new campaign.

Last summer, they gave away Snoopy cell-phone straps with bottles of Pepsi NEX.
Click here to read my post about that.

Now they are giving away Samurai cell-phone straps (well, one of them is Matthew Perry. Click here to read what I wrote about him.)

If you buy a bottle of Pepsi‘s “zero calorie” NEX cola at a convenience store or supermarket in Japan during this campaign period, it will come with a Samurai cell-phone strap.

(click to enlarge)

Personally, I don’t drink much cola…and I never drink “zero calorie” or diet drinks (they taste terrible).
Also, although I think 「侍」 (samurai) are cool, I don’t really need any more cell-phone straps (I have one on my phone that looks like a skull and I’m happy with it).

How about you? Would you buy this? Do you like “zero calorie” Pepsi?
What type of cell-phone strap do you have? (Does your country have straps on the phones like in Japan?)