Editorial Department: Could you tell us about the goal behind choosing acai, a popular fruit, and your target audience? Also, please share the specific development story that led to the combination of acai and grape juice among many fruits.

Yoshida, CJ FOODS JAPAN Product Planning (titles omitted below): While demand and trends for acai as a fruit are soaring, we designed this product with the perspective of "how our vinegar drink fans can enjoy it."

Breaking down recent flavor trends and what customers expect from Beauty Vinegar, it always comes down to a "beauty image" and "healthiness." Since the core users of Beauty Vinegar are mostly women, we focused on a beauty image that naturally attracts such individuals.

While the overall vinegar market is primarily targeted at people in their 50s and older, Beauty Vinegar enjoys strong support from a relatively younger demographic in their 30s and 40s. We felt we could create a fresh approach by brushing up the brand image built so far and combining it with trendy acai.

We selected acai from various fruits and combined it with grape juice to leverage acai's unique richness and mild astringency while achieving a clean, highly drinkable "vibrant fruit feel." It pairs exceptionally well with the mellow character of fruit-fermented vinegar, resulting in a crisp and delicious finish.

A New Character with High "Insta-Worthy" Affinity! Promotional Strategy for Influencer Duo "Acai Twins"

Editorial Department: Please tell us about the promotional strategy utilizing the new characters, "Acai Twins." Could you share the background behind appointing an influencer duo to match acai—which pairs wonderfully with "Insta-worthy" sweets like acai bowls—and the specific measures and messaging planned around social media?

Ishikawa: Since acai is a fruit with extremely high affinity for social media, we translated the concept of an "influencer" into characters to match that characteristic.

Moving forward, we plan to focus on announcements and information distribution via social media. In fact, we plan to add more characters to this "Acai Twins (Asatan & Eetan)" lineup whenever new flavors are introduced in the future. Each character has a solid concept and desired image appeal, and we are also looking into merchandise development through these characters. As the influencer duo of the Beauty Vinegar Forest, they will share not only the appeal of the products but also the fun of lifestyle choices.

More Intuitive, More Accessible: Goals Behind the Renewal to "Beauty Vinegar TEA"

Editorial Department: Please tell us about the objectives behind shifting from the straight type to the "Beauty Vinegar TEA" renewal. Could you explain the reasons for the name change, the efforts to make it easier for customers to pick up—including package design unification—and the expected results?

Yoshida, Product Planning: The biggest reason is "to make it easier for customers to try." While previous naming placed the concept upfront, we decided to renew it to the name "Beauty Vinegar TEA" so that customers can intuitively and directly understand "what flavor and what kind of drink it is at a glance."

This aims to make products more accessible on store shelves and increase trial opportunities for those who have never tried Beauty Vinegar before, making them think, "Let's give it a try." In addition, by unifying the tone and manner of the package design with the 800mL large-capacity type, we enhanced brand visibility and designed it so that the distinct Beauty Vinegar identity shines through clearly on store shelves.

After the Interview

Since its landing in Japan in 2012, Beauty Vinegar has led the vinegar drink market, achieving 90% brand awareness and No. 1 market sales in 2024 (*1, *2). Unfazed by current success, their constant drive to deliver fresh excitement—such as developing new flavors incorporating trendy acai, upgrading to the accessible "Beauty Vinegar TEA," and executing character-driven social media strategies—left a strong impression.

"When you think of vinegar drinks, you think of Beauty Vinegar"—and their evolution never slows down. Be sure to check out the new products hitting stores and social media nationwide starting September 1, 2026!

编辑部： 请问此次选择采用人气水果巴西莓的初衷是什么？预期的核心目标群体又是哪些？能否为我们分享一下在众多水果中最终选定巴西莓及葡萄汁组合的具体开发故事？

CJ FOODS JAPAN 商品负责人 吉田（以下略）： 巴西莓作为水果的需求和趋势正日益高涨，而我们这次的设计出发点是从“如何让果醋饮料的粉丝们更好地享受它”的角度来进行构思的。

如果我们把近年来的风味趋势以及顾客对美酢的期待要素进行细致拆解，最终还是会回归到“美容形象”和“健康感”。由于美酢的核心用户多为女性，因此我们格外注重打造能让这些群体不自觉想拿在手里的美容视觉感。

此外，从整个醋饮市场来看，核心目标群体以50岁以上为主，但美酢却深受30～40岁相对年轻层的广泛支持。我们认为，将美酢迄今为止积累的品牌形象进一步升级，并与充满潮流感的巴西莓相结合，能够开辟出全新的宣传切入点。

在众多果实中选中巴西莓，并进一步搭配葡萄汁，是为了既能充分展现巴西莓特有的醇厚与适度涩味，又能兼具毫无杂味、人人易饮的“华丽果实感”。它与温润的果实发酵醋风味极为契合，呈现出清爽美味的口感。

与“上镜”高度契合的新角色！网红组合“巴西莓双子”的推广战略

编辑部： 请跟我们聊聊利用新角色“巴西莓双子”开展的推广战略。鉴于巴西莓与巴西莓碗等“高颜值甜点”高度契合，推出网红组合的契机是什么？未来计划在SNS上展开的具体企划和发布内容又有哪些？

石川： 巴西莓是一种在SNS上极具亲和力的水果，因此我们根据这一特性，将“网红（Influencer）”的概念融入到了角色设定中。

今后我们将以SNS的预告和信息发布为中心展开推广。实际上，这个“巴西莓双子（Asatan & Eetan）”在未来推出新口味时，也计划持续增加新角色。每个角色都赋予了明确的概念和想要传达的品牌印象，今后我们也将视野拓展至通过角色开发周边商品等领域。作为美酢森林的网红组合，她们不仅会传递商品的魅力，还会把生活方式的乐趣一同传递给大家。

更加直观，更加易购。蕴含在“美酢TEA”焕新之中的匠心意图

编辑部： 请谈谈从直接饮用型升级为“美酢TEA”的焕新目的。更改名称的原因、包括统一包装设计在内为了提高顾客购买便利性所做出的巧思，以及所期待达到的效果分别是什么？

商品负责人 吉田： 最主要的原因是“为了让顾客更容易进行尝试”。过去的名字偏向于把概念放在显眼位置，为了让顾客能一眼看出“这是什么口味、什么样的饮品”，我们决定将名称焕新为更直观易懂的“美酢TEA”。

通过这种方式，顾客在货架前能更轻松地拿起商品，旨在为那些从未喝过美酢的人增加“稍微试一下”的初次尝试机会。此外，通过与800mL大容量产品的包装设计风格和色调保持统一，进一步提升了品牌的辨识度，确保在货架上更能凸显出美酢的独特魅力。

采访后记

自2012年登陆日本以来，美酢一直引领着果醋饮料市场，并在2024年实现了品牌知名度90%、市场销售额No.1的佳绩（※1、※2）。他们不满足于现状，不仅开发了融入流行巴西莓的新口味，还将产品升级为更易选购的“美酢TEA”，并通过角色开展SNS企划，这种不断带来全新惊喜的姿态令人印象深刻。

“说起果醋饮料就是美酢”——他们的进化脚步从未停歇。2026年9月1日起在日本全国发售的新品，请务必通过实体店或SNS前去关注体验！