red bull 3Launched just ten days ago at convenience stores nationwide, 330ml PET bottles of Red Bull are being pulled from store shelves. The reason, apparently, is the western style month-day-year sell-by date labeling used on the popular energy drink’s packaging.

The 330ml PET bottle went on sale June 4 to commemorate Red Bull Live on the Road, a music contest running June 1 to July 20 that will allow the top five bands with the most votes to appear on stage at the Summer Sonic 2013 rock festival.
reb bull summer sonic
According to the Twitosphere in Japan, the product is being pulled from convenience store shelves due to its sell-by date which appears as month-day-year, instead of year-month-day, the style used in Japan.

@daily_yamazaki said, “Because of the western style sell-by date the product cannot be sold in Japan and is being pulled from store shelves. As it was only going to be on sale for a limited period, we won’t see it again.

@suga__genmai confirms, “The PET bottle version is really gone! I went and asked at a convenience store and was told they had stopped selling it. Even if they have stock, the store’s head office has told them they are no longer allowed to sell it.”

You be the judge, is it really a problem?

▼　The offending label.

Red b sell by

I can’t help but feel sorry for whoever was in charge of packaging. I wonder if some folks over at Starbucks complained, seeing how they are releasing their own energy drink on the 25th.

 

Source: esuteru
Images: Red Bull Japan, esuteru