Most companies use “product placement,” an advertising technique to subtly promote their products through placing them in films, television or other media.
A classic example of that is Yakult’s cameo in Netflix’s teen rom-com movie, “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”. To those who have never heard nor tried about the drink, it’s actually a fermented skim milk with a special strain of Lactobacillus casei — a type of bacteria that is good for the digestive system. It was created in Japan in 1935 and entered the U.S. market in 1999.
During the movie, viewers had noticed that Lara Jean Song Covey’s sister, Kitty, was drinking a “yogurt” out of a distinctive little bottle. In the film, the dairy product was dubbed a “Korean yogurt smoothie,” but audiences clearly spotted the brand’s “distinct red foil top.”
Yakult Shortage never happened in an Asian Country before, as far as I know. But today, my fave dairy drink is sold out in two stores. I blame you Peter K! 😂✌ #ToAllTheBoysIveLovedBefore @Netflix_PH @NetflixAsia @netflix pic.twitter.com/sGLvTEWS7D
— ALY アリー (@FangurlAly) August 22, 2018
And now, people can’t seem to get over with Yakult’s fleeting moment…
I just want to shout how much I LOVE #ToAllTheBoysIveLovedBefore 😍 the yakult yogurt reference 😂,so many nostalgic things and the characters!!! pic.twitter.com/yQ5sRG5rDF
— Ellen McGinty (@Mcgintytokyo) August 31, 2018
Would you say this movie was a yakult fan favorite?? #ToAllTheBoysIveLovedBefore
— Leslie Butiong (@ohlesliedidwhat) August 29, 2018
What do you mean Yakult isn't a staple drink outside Asia?! Where do people get their daily dose of Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota, then?! 😂 #ToAllTheBoysIveLovedBefore https://t.co/t9a8K9FqE4
— Why Capella 🧷 (@willcapz) September 4, 2018
https://twitter.com/Mentallyonvacay/status/1036672480528625664
me: ok im grounding myself from rewatching tatbilb until ive finished cleaning tomorrow
twitter moments: yakult salea are up bc of tatbilb
me: *SCREAMS*— ariel (@arielthenerd) September 4, 2018
https://twitter.com/reesespieces_20/status/1036876206149230592
According to data reported by Bloomberg, its appearance in the film really spiked its “mention frequency.”
Mark Bachman, head of M Science’s TickerTags, a research firm that analyzes the relationship between social media and a company’s performance also noted that, “Given the increasing conversation levels, we believe Yakult is achieving greater brand awareness, which should likely result in higher sales volume.”
Bloomberg also reported that dairy producer Yakult Honsha Co.’s shares also climbed approximately 2.6 percent since the release of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before.
For the probiotic drink, this chance is a much-needed boost as Yakult shares fell in February after global yogurt giant Danone announced plans to sell about $1.8 billion of the Japanese company’s stock.
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