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Absolut Vodka & SPRITE Ready-To-Drink Cocktail now available in Great Britain

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01/02/2024

Further to announcing the relationship in October 2023, The Coca-Cola Company and Pernod Ricard are pleased to reveal Absolut Vodka & SPRITE is now available to purchase in Great Britain.

Bringing together two iconic brands with global footprints, the new pre-mixed alcohol ready-to-drink cocktail is made with premium vodka, Absolut, and the loved lemon-lime sparkling soft drink, SPRITE.

The design puts Absolut Vodka's Iconic bottle shape front and centre, while the vibrant colour gradient reflects the perfect mix of ABSOLUT’s smoothness with Sprite's highly refreshing lemon and lime flavour.

Absolut Vodka & SPRITE is perfect for relaxed, unplanned occasions with friends at home or during occasions like festivals, providing a convenient bar quality serve whilst saving time on mixing.

Rolling out into wholesale and convenience in February and then nationwide across grocery from Spring, Absolut Vodka & SPRITE 250ml cans at 5% ABV have an MRRP of £2.30 in GB and are sold in case sizes of 12.

The launch will be supported by a summer marketing campaign which will include PR, social media and influencers, sampling and out of home advertising. Convenience retailers can also visit our trade website My.CCEP.com for point-of-sale kits and digital assets to help engage their adult shoppers.

James Davies, Senior Director, Alcohol Ready to Drink at The Coca-Cola Company commented, “Our consumers are at the centre of everything we do, and it’s important that we provide them with a wide range of drinks that suit different tastes and occasions. The new offering of Absolut Vodka & SPRITE is a combination of the familiar premium taste of Absolut Vodka with the iconic and signature lemon-lime taste of SPRITE, giving our adult consumers a refreshingly tasty and trusted drink experience.”

Francesco Ottaviano, Global RTD Portfolio Director at Pernod Ricard, adds, “While Absolut Vodka and SPRITE have long been enjoyed together around the world, we now unite two powerhouse brands in a unique ready-to-drink product. We are thrilled to present this exclusive premium proposition in a convenient and portable format to our European consumers.”

Debasree Dasgupta, VP Global Marketing, Absolut Vodka, continues: “Absolut and SPRITE is a dynamic fusion of two iconic brands, a collaboration that transcends boundaries and meets the ever-evolving desires of today’s consumer and new consumption occasions. This unique partnership isn’t just a drink, it is a celebration of Absolut’s belief that we are all Born to Mix.”

Elaine Maher, Associate Director, Commercial Development, at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners GB, which manufactures and distributes Absolut Vodka & SPRITE in GB, said:

“We are thrilled to be bringing two more iconic brands together into the alcohol ready-to-drink (ARTD) category in GB.

We know that refreshment is the no.1 preference amongst consumers when making an alcoholic ready-to-drink choice[1], and that is something Sprite’s Lemon and Lime taste is particularly renowned for.  With this in mind, and in combination with the striking can design, we’re confident that Absolut Vodka & SPRITE will help elevate ARTD sales for retailers particularly as we enter the warmer months.

Absolut Vodka & SPRITE will firstly be launched in the GB. It will then be rolled out in other selected European markets such as Germany, Spain and the Netherlands.

Cans will include clear responsibility symbols stating that the drink is to be enjoyed only by consumers of legal drinking age. The global benchmark for alcohol beverage volume (ABV) is 5% but will vary depending on the market. Absolut Vodka & SPRITE ready-to-drink will adhere to the responsible marketing practices of Pernod Ricard and The Coca-Cola Company.

 

[1] IWSR RTDs Strategic Study 2022 – United Kingdom