SUB CATEGORY :

HEALTH & WELL-BEING

ENTRANT COMPANY :

ADK MARKETING SOLUTIONS INC., TOKYO

TITLE :

ELECTRIC SALT

BRAND :

ELECTRIC SALT

ADVERTISER :

KIRIN HOLDINGS/MEIJI UNIVERSITY

AGENCY :

ADK MARKETING SOLUTIONS INC., TOKYO/ATHA, TOKYO/
TOPPAN PRINTING CO., LTD., TOKYO

CREATIVE DIRECTOR :

MARI HOSOKAWA/YOSHIHIRO KOZUKA

ART DIRECTOR :

GAKU TAKAI

COPYWRITER :

MARI HOSOKAWA/AKIHITO OMI/AI FUCHIGAMI

CREATIVE TECHNOLOGIST :

YOSHIHIRO KOZUKA/HARUKA KODAMA

DESIGN DIRECTOR :

HIROAKI KANO

DESIGN ENGINEER :

TORU SHIRAKAWA

LIGHTING DESIGNER :

FUTA INOUE

DESIGNER :

SHOTA KONNO

SOUND ENGINEER :

TAKASHI HARA

DEVELOPER :

AI SATO

MOVIE DIRECTOR :

KOJI TANAKA/TAIKI SAKAMAKI

MOVIE CAMERAMAN :

TOSHIAKI IMAOKA

DIRECTOR OF SOUND :

WATARU KATSUMI

MOVIE EDITOR :

YUHO KONDO

PROFESSOR :

HOMEI MIYASHITA

HAIR & MAKE-UP :

HARUKA NAKAJIMA

FOOD STYLIST :

TOMOMI YASUI/YUMIKO SATO

ACCOUNT DIRECTOR :

RYUSUKE SAITO

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE :

AKI TERADA/YURIKO YAMAMOTO

STRATEGIC PLANNING DIRECTOR :

ASAKO SORIMACHI

STRATEGIC PLANNER :

KANTO SHIMURA/AYAKA YOSHIDA

PLANNER :

HARUKA KODAMA/AYUMI ARIIZUMI

PR DIRECTOR :

SATOSHI INNAMI/MASAMI SHIMAMURA

PR AGENCY :

SUNNY SIDE UP INC., TOKYO

PR DIRECTOR :

PR PLANNER :

MIKAKO TANAKA

FILM PRODUCTION COMPANY :

ADK CREATIVE ONE INC., TOKYO

CAMERAMAN :

SHO SATO

MOVIE PRODUCER :

TAKURO YOSHIHARA/TAIKI TSUTSUMI

CREATIVE PRODUCER :

YUSUKE MINATO

FOOD STYLIST :

WEB DIRECTOR :

CHIKA CHOKKI/NORIKA SASAKI

HAIR & MAKE-UP :

MISAKI KAMEI

EDITOR :

XIN LI/HIROTAKA ISHIMATSU

GRAPHIC PRODUCER :

RYO UENO/YUKI YAMAZAKI

COORDINATOR :

EIJI YOKOTA/RIEKO KUDO

PHOTOGRAPHER :

JOJI OKAMOTO

RETOUCHER :

TAKESHI MURAKAMI

CAMPAIGN SUMMARY :

OVERVIEW:
Electric Salt, a tableware-type device that enhances the salty and umami flavors of low-sodium foods*1 with the power of electricity, was developed and released. The objective was to provide a solution to the social issue of excessive salt intake by offering a new approach to enjoying low-sodium food, simply by using this new tableware.

STRATEGY:
Continuing a low-sodium diet can be challenging for many people. It is often said that changing the familiar taste of daily meals is difficult and making it a habit is even harder. Excessive salt intake is known to contribute to the onset and worsening of conditions such as hypertension and kidney disease.
This is a global social issue, including in Japan, and solutions to maintain low-sodium intake through various approaches are urgently needed.
Therefore, we aimed to support the habit of low-sodium diets with the idea of a tableware device that maximizes the salty and umami potential of low-sodium diets*1.

INNOVATION:
Focusing on “electric taste” technology, which changes taste with the power of electricity, we have commercialized a product that is easy to use in daily meals. After five years of joint development with the Yoshiaki Miyashita Laboratory of the Department of Advanced Media Science at Meiji University, the product was launched in Japan in May 2024. The original paper, “Augmented Gustation using Electricity,” was published by the Miyashita Laboratory in 2011 and was awarded the Ig Nobel Prize (Nutrition) in 2023.

*1The 3rd Neurostimulation Interface Research Meeting (March 2023) “Influence of Electric Gustatory Waveforms to Enhance the Salty Taste of Low-Sodium Foods on Umami Taste.” There are individual differences in physical sensation, and may also differ depending on the food.

CREATIVITY/IDEA/INSIGHT :

CREATIVITY:
Electric Salt was designed as a tableware-type device for easy everyday use. Focusing on the ease of enjoying tasty low-sodium foods by simply changing to this tableware, the spoon-shaped device was launched on May 20, 2024. Dishes such as soups and curries eaten with a spoon easily transmit electricity to bring out salty and umami flavors.

IDEA:
Focusing on “electric taste” technology, which changes taste with the power of electricity, this product has been put to practical use as an easy-to-use product for daily meals. With a total of 4 selectable intensity levels, each person can enjoy their meal at their “preferred intensity (salty/umami)”.

INSIGHT:
The focus was on the insight that people want to enjoy low-sodium food in an easy and tasty way.
When the developer of Electric Salt was conducting research at a university hospital, he learned that many patients were having a hard time with their diet. After about three months of trying a low-sodium diet himself, he gradually lost his appetite and eventually lost 5kg. He realized once again how difficult it is to suddenly change one's diet and set out to develop an easy way to “reduce salt in a tasty way.”

STRATEGY :

STRATEGY:
Focusing on “electric taste” that changes taste with the power of electricity, a tableware-type device easy to use for daily meals, was developed. The goal of this innovative approach was to solve the social problem of excessive salt intake by making it possible to enjoy low-sodium foods simply by changing to this tableware. We are also working with companies and local governments to support salt reduction, to create a sustainable society where taste needn’t be sacrificed for health reasons.

INSIGHTS:
Many people find it difficult to continue eating a low-sodium diet for years. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has identified “excessive salt intake” as the most important nutritional issue for Japanese people*1.
In a survey conducted by Kirin in 2021*2, more than half of low-sodium dieters were dissatisfied with the taste of low-sodium foods. The insight was that dissatisfaction with low-salt diets was preventing people from continuing to eat low-sodium foods and to make it a habit.

*1 Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Basic Policy for the Comprehensive Promotion of People's Health
*2 Research by Kirin. Survey conducted June 2021. Target: Men and women aged 40-79 living in the Tokyo metropolitan area (N = 4,411)

EXECUTION :

EXECUTION:
With a focus on design and durability for daily use, after 5 years of prototyping, a product with the implementation of “electric taste” technology was developed, and a spoon-shaped device was released on May 20, 2024. Currently, we are working to develop tableware-type devices other than spoons.

ACCESSIBILITY:
In order to support making low-sodium diets a sustainable habit, original low-sodium recipes that can reduce salt in a delicious way were developed. In collaboration with Ippudo*1, a popular ramen restaurant, a hands-on event where customers can taste low-sodium ramen noodles with Electric Salt was held. The goal is to create a society where people can access an environment where they can reduce salt in both home-cooking and when eating out. Business development of support for salt reduction in collaboration with companies and local governments is also under way, with the goal of bringing the Electric Salt experience to a cumulative total of 1 million people around the world in the next five years.

*1Source: Press release by Kirin Holdings, 3 December 2024

RESULT :

RESULT:
The launch of Electric Salt was a national and international success, leading to extremely high media exposure.
The most important achievement was providing, to more than 2,000 people struggling to make a habit of reducing salt, a way to enjoy a low-sodium diet in a delicious way. We received many comments of joy, especially from those who are strictly reducing salt to less than 6g per day due to illness or diet therapy.
We have also received hundreds of inquiries from companies and municipalities that have learned about Electric Salt, including inquiries for collaboration, which continues to this day. As a result, we have collaborated with Ippudo*1, a popular ramen restaurant, to hold a hands-on event where people can taste low-sodium ramen noodles with Electric Salt and have begun to create a social environment where people can enjoy low-sodium food in a delicious way.
In order to achieve the goal of bringing the Electric Salt experience to a total of 1 million people around the world in the next five years, we will promote further technological development, product commercialization, and collaboration with companies and local governments.

*1Source: Press release by Kirin Holdings, 3 December 2024

URL :

https://electricsalt.kirin.co.jp/