Cultured or not? Vitagen taunts Yakult over 'D' Nutri-Grade rating, draws brutal comments

When it comes to cultured milk, you're either Team Yakult or Team Vitagen. There's no sitting on the fence on that one. 

Vitagen and Yakult themselves have a history of going head to head in a 'cultured war' to dominate the probiotic market in Singapore. 

Recently, a social media post by Vitagen has ignited a storm online, in which it claims that "unlike other Nutri-Grade D cultured milk, Vitagen Less Sugar contains 8x Less White Sugar and no added intense sweeteners.

"Vitagen Less Sugar can be sold in schools because it is the naturally healthier choice for everyone!"

While the post didn't name names, netizens were quick to recognise that Vitagen was taking a shot at its rival Yakult.

Yakult has been labelled a 'D' in the Nutri-Grade grading system with 14% sugar. 

The new Nutri-Grade label is an initiative by the Ministry of Health to encourage Singaporeans to make healthier choices.

It's a nutrient summary label with four colour-coded grades ranging from green to red, with corresponding letters from A to D reflecting the sugar and saturated fat content of the drink.

A 'D' grade means the drink is considered unhealthy as it's high in sugar and saturated fat. Drinks labelled 'D' are also barred from being advertised in the media.

Vitagen's post drew ire and criticism from some netizens, calling the post "distasteful" and "disgusting". 

But there were those who praised the ad. 

Netizens were also vocal in the comments about their team of choice in the 'cultured war'.

Some were Team Vitagen: 

While others were Team Yakult:

Battle of the brands

This wouldn't be the first time we're seeing brands taking aim at their rivals.

Other iconic brands that have duked it out include Coke versus Pepsi, Nike versus Reebok, McDonald's versus Burger King and Microsoft versus Apple.

A widely spoken about event would be Pepsi's ad campaign Pepsi Challenge, which kickstarted the rivalry with Coke.

The challenge was a blind taste test with one cup filled with Pepsi and another with Coca-Cola, and tasters were asked which drink they preferred.

Unsurprisingly, every Pepsi Challenge concluded that more than 50 per cent of tasters preferred Pepsi to Coke, which made the challenge a hugely successful marketing strategy for Pepsi to grab some market share from Coke.

As brand wars continue and as brands attempt to stand out from the crowd, ultimately, as the saying goes, to each their own. 

ashwini.balan@asiaone.com

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