Further to announcing the relationship in October 2023, The Coca-Cola Company and Pernod Ricard have released Absolut Vodka & Sprite in Britain in the global launch of the new pre-mixed alcohol ready-to-drink cocktail, 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.
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.
“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,” James Davies, senior director, alcohol ready to drink at The Coca-Cola Company, commented.
“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, added: “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.”
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 join our existing ARTD portfolio, Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola and Jack Daniel’s Coca-Cola Zero Sugar to help drive growth into the £540m ARTD category which remains the biggest ARTD market in Europe and expected to grow significantly by 2027. Jack Daniel’s and Coca-Cola launched in March 2023 and has generated more than £17m worth of sales since launch.”
Absolut Vodka & Sprite will firstly be launched in Britain. It will then be rolled out in other selected European markets such as Germany, Spain and the Netherlands.
