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Calpis Drink Celebrates 100 Years With Animated Ads
posted on by Lynzee Loveridge
One of Japan's oldest and most popular sodas is Calpis, a carbonated beverage that's a little bit milky, a little bit tart, and with a hint of pineapple of taste. The drink was invented by Kaiun Mishima who based the idea on a traditional drink from Mongolia and Central Asia. Asahi Beverage is celebrating Calpis' 100th anniversary with a special campaign site and a series of animated music videos.
The music video series, titled "Tanabata no Oto" (Star Festival Song), will include five episodes. The first episode follows a high school student named Nanase who has left her home town. Nanase begins imagining the story of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi who reunite during Tanabata. She worries that the gods can't reunite across the Milky Way when the stars are obscured by all the urban lights of her new home city. Her interest in the Tanabata story attracts the attention of her new classmates who try to figure out how to create a Milky Way in the city.
The video's song is performed by idol group Shiritsu Ebisu Chugaku (Nanana's Buried Treasure,Naruto Spin-Off: Rock Lee & His Ninja Pals).
The ads are directed by Toshitaka Shinoda. Shinoda has worked with multiple music groups for their videos including Hikaru Utada, Dempagumi.inc, TMRevolution, Ayana Taketatsu, and Hatsune Miku. Mai Yoneyama (Kiznaiver) provided the character designs. Saeri Natsuo drafted the ads' story and manga creator TNSK is credited with art for the first episode. Each episode will feature a different manga artist.
The four high school girls are voiced by Yoshino Aoyama (Wake Up, Girls!), Reina Ueda (SSSS.Gridman, Little Witch Academia), Aoi Koga (Kaguya-sama: Love is War), and Kana Asumi (Non Non Biyori, Nisekoi).
Japan's Tanabata festival will be celebrated on July 7. Here's hoping our girls find a way to help Orihime and and Hikoboshi meet.
Source: Comic Natalie
