{"id":524,"date":"2024-05-02T15:08:51","date_gmt":"2024-05-02T08:08:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/?p=524"},"modified":"2024-05-02T15:08:51","modified_gmt":"2024-05-02T08:08:51","slug":"world-famous-japanese-green-tea-brand-signs-up-baseball-super-star-as-ambassador","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/?p=524","title":{"rendered":"World-Famous Japanese Green Tea Brand Signs Up Baseball Super-Star as Ambassador"},"content":{"rendered":"

SINGAPORE<\/span><\/span>, May 2, 2024<\/span><\/span> \/PRNewswire\/ — ITO EN, Ltd., producer of\u00a0Oi Ocha, the world’s No. 1 unsweetened green tea beverage\u00a0brand, has signed a global endorsement agreement with Shohei Ohtani<\/span>, star pitcher and\u00a0hitter for the Los\u00a0Angeles Dodgers, a Major League Baseball team, effective\u00a0April 30, 2024.<\/p>\n

A spokesman for ITO EN President and Representative Director, Daisuke Honjo<\/span>, made the announcement from the Company’s headquarters in Shibuya, Tokyo<\/span>. “We are honored to have on board an athlete and celebrity of Ohtani-san’s talent and stature,” he said.\u00a0“As we aim to become a global tea company, ITO EN will further enhance the value and prestige of Japanese tea globally by implementing various projects in Japan<\/span> and abroad with its new superstar brand ambassador, Shohei Ohtani<\/span>,” he explained.<\/p>\n

Ohtani is a longtime fan of Oi Ocha and has been enjoying the popular drink from his time growing up in Japan<\/span>, up to his current life in Southern California<\/span> as the history-making, record-breaking baseball player for, first, the Los Angeles Angels, and now his new home with the Los Angeles Dodgers. “I have loved Oi Ocha since I was in Japan<\/span>, and it is also a great companion in my life in America,” says Ohtani.<\/p>\n

Nicknamed “Sho-time” by sports writers since his move to Los\u00a0Angeles, Ohtani often appears in post-game press conferences, drinking from a bottle of Oi Ocha as he fields questions\u00a0from reporters. He not only enjoys the taste but also is a firm believer that it enhances his athletic performance as well as helps him cope with stress and the demands of a celebrity.<\/p>\n

ITO EN is set to launch a multinational advertising and marketing campaign in major media spanning North America<\/span>, Asia-Pacific<\/span> and Europe<\/span>, especially in those countries where baseball is already hugely popular, such as the U.S., Canada<\/span>, and Korea, as well as home country Japan<\/span>. The campaign will also include a variety of promotional events in which Ohtani’s numerous fans will want to participate.<\/p>\n

Press media include: Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Asahi Shimbun<\/span>, Yomiuri Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun, and Sankei Shimbun, as well as sports and regional newspapers throughout Japan<\/span>, including Iwate and Hokkaido<\/span>, where Ohtani was active professionally.<\/p>\n

Outside of Japan<\/span>, the media blitz will include major newspapers in the United States<\/span> such as the New York Times<\/span>, Los Angeles Times<\/span>, Washington Post, and Honolulu Star- Advertiser; the United Kingdom’s<\/span> Financial Times; Korea’s Chosun Ilbo; and Australia’s<\/span> Courier-Mail, Daily Telegraph, and Herald Sun \u2013 countries where baseball is popular, as well as others where there is growing interest in the game.<\/p>\n

In conjunction with the endorsement signing, ITO EN is pleased to be publishing an open letter the Company sent to Shohei Ohtani<\/span>, expressing its support as his phenomenal career continues to thrill and inspire baseball fans the world over. Full-page “teaser” advertisements will run in more than 60 newspapers in Japan<\/span> and around the world, showcasing the letter of encouragement from ITO EN’s Oi Ocha to Ohtani.<\/p>\n

Publication of the letter to a mass audience further demonstrates ITO EN’s unwavering support for Ohtani and also speaks for his legion of admirers, to say, in so many words:\u00a0“We are behind you and with you as you now proudly wear ‘Dodger Blue,’ Ohtani-san!”<\/p>\n

ITO\u00a0EN\u00a0also\u00a0pledges to\u00a0deliver\u00a0as\u00a0many\u00a0bottles of\u00a0the\u00a0contracted\u00a0products\u00a0as\u00a0requested,<\/p>\n

anytime, anywhere, to the athlete himself and to those around him who support him.<\/p>\n

Shohei\u00a0Ohtani’s\u00a0Profile <\/p>\n

\n

<\/a>
GLENDALE, AZ – FEBRUARY 21: Shohei Ohtani #17 of the Los Angeles Dodgers poses for a photo during the Los Angeles Dodgers Photo Day at Camelback Ranch on Wednesday, February 21, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Mary DeCicco\/MLB Photos via Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Born in Iwate Prefecture in 1994. 193 cm tall, 95 kg, Shohei Ohtani<\/span> uniquely throws right-handed and bats left-handed. He was the first overall pick in the NPB 2012 draft, joining the Hokkaido Nippon- Ham Fighters, where he drew attention for being a two-way player. In 2016, he contributed to the Fighters’ Japan<\/span> championship with both pitching and hitting, and became the Pacific League MVP. In 2021, he was named Major League Baseball’s American League MVP after hitting 46 home runs as a hitter and winning 9 games as a pitcher with the Los Angeles Angels. In 2023, he had a historic season, becoming the first Japanese player ever to win the American League home-run crown, in addition to achieving double- digit wins and home runs for a second consecutive year. In December 2023<\/span>, he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers.<\/p>\n

ITO EN Corporate Profile <\/p>\n

Based on the Group’s management philosophy of “Customers First,” our mission is to help our customers lead healthy and affluent lives and help create a sustainable society. We are committed to providing\u00a0the\u00a0best\u00a0taste and\u00a0value\u00a0of\u00a0Japanese\u00a0tea\u00a0to\u00a0our\u00a0customers\u00a0of\u00a0all\u00a0ages.<\/p>\n

In order to realize our long-term vision of becoming a “Global Tea Company,” we will continue to promote “Oi Ocha” as a representative Japanese brand around the world, connect with tea culture in various\u00a0regions\u00a0around\u00a0the\u00a0world,\u00a0and\u00a0create\u00a0a\u00a0new\u00a0tea\u00a0culture and\u00a0tea\u00a0market\u00a0on\u00a0a\u00a0global\u00a0scale through\u00a0the\u00a0ITO\u00a0EN\u00a0Group’s\u00a0technology\u00a0and\u00a0value\u00a0chain.\u00a0Through\u00a0the\u00a0strong\u00a0partnerships\u00a0we\u00a0have built\u00a0with\u00a0everyone\u00a0associated\u00a0with\u00a0our\u00a0company since\u00a0its\u00a0establishment,\u00a0we\u00a0will\u00a0continue to contribute\u00a0to\u00a0the\u00a0healthy\u00a0and\u00a0affluent\u00a0lives of\u00a0our\u00a0customers\u00a0in\u00a0Japan and\u00a0worldwide.<\/p>\n

The world’s No. 1 green tea beverage brand, “Oi\u00a0Ocha” <\/p>\n

\n

<\/a>
<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Oi Ocha, our flagship brand and the world’s No. 1 unsweetened green tea beverage brand, celebrated its 35th anniversary in February 2024<\/span> and has sold more than 43 billion bottles (*1) since its launch in 1989.<\/p>\n

Tea\u00a0has\u00a0permeated\u00a0our\u00a0lives\u00a0as\u00a0a\u00a0communication\u00a0tool\u00a0that\u00a0connects people\u00a0to\u00a0each\u00a0other, and\u00a0is\u00a0a\u00a0familiar\u00a0drink\u00a0that\u00a0is\u00a0referred\u00a0to\u00a0as\u00a0an\u00a0everyday\u00a0staple. Since\u00a0its\u00a0predecessor product, the world’s first green tea drink, “Sencha in a can,” was launched in 1985, the “Oi\u00a0Ocha”\u00a0brand\u00a0has\u00a0continued to\u00a0grow\u00a0based\u00a0on\u00a0our\u00a0technological\u00a0capabilities\u00a0to\u00a0evolve\u00a0with the changing drinking styles of the times and our ability to procure high-quality raw\u00a0materials\u00a0(tea\u00a0leaves) through\u00a0initiatives\u00a0such\u00a0as\u00a0the\u00a0tea\u00a0production\u00a0area\u00a0cultivation\u00a0business. Overseas,\u00a0the\u00a0value\u00a0of\u00a0“Oi\u00a0Ocha”\u00a0has\u00a0been\u00a0well\u00a0received,\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0number\u00a0of\u00a0customers (fans)\u00a0who\u00a0enjoy\u00a0drinking it\u00a0is\u00a0steadily\u00a0increasing\u00a0in\u00a0North\u00a0America, Southeast\u00a0Asia,\u00a0and other regions. As\u00a0of\u00a0March\u00a02024,\u00a0it\u00a0was\u00a0sold\u00a0in\u00a0more\u00a0than\u00a040\u00a0countries\u00a0and\u00a0territories.<\/p>\n

\n

(*1) Certified by Guinness\u2122 World Records
Intage SRI+\u00a0unsweetened\u00a0tea\u00a0beverage market data, January\u2013December 2023\u00a0sales of “Oi Ocha” brand
Record name: Largest unsweetened green tea beverage brand (latest annual sales) Official English record name: Largest unsweetened green tea RTD brand \u2013 retail, current Recorded brand: Oi Ocha brand (excluding Oi Ocha hojicha products)
Target year: January – December 2023
500 ml PET\u00a0bottle\u00a0equivalent<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

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SINGAPORE, May 2, 2024 \/PRNewswire\/ — ITO EN, Ltd […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rop_custom_images_group":[],"rop_custom_messages_group":[],"rop_publish_now":"initial","rop_publish_now_accounts":[],"rop_publish_now_history":[],"rop_publish_now_status":"pending","footnotes":""},"categories":[5,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-524","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cision-pr-newswire","category-cision-pr-newswire-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/524","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=524"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/524\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=524"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=524"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thaipropertynews.com\/feeds\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=524"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}