In an ABSOLUT World, Good Things Happen When the Lights Go Out

ABSOLUT(R) Turns Off the Lights in Vegas, as World's Most Iconic Vodka Kicks
Off Series of 'Lights Out' Parties Across the Country in Celebration of
ABSOLUT Global Cooling(TM)

NEW YORK, June 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Sin City is about to go dark. In another
bold move from the world's most iconic vodka, ABSOLUT(R) is encouraging
consumers and bar/nightclub owners to save energy through a series of "Lights
Out" parties, kicking off in Las Vegas this weekend in celebration of its
ABSOLUT Global Cooling(TM) campaign. Borne from the brand's "In An ABSOLUT
World" advertising campaign, ABSOLUT Global Cooling(TM) encourages consumers
to reduce the effects of global warming by offering simple steps they can
implement in their daily lives.
Lights Out Las Vegas
On June 21, the eve of summer solstice, ABSOLUT Vodka and Mandalay Bay
Resort & Casino will turn off the lights at approximately 9:30 pm for 60
seconds during the Outernational Music Festival featuring Gnarls Barkley,
Thievery Corporation and special guest Bebel Gilberto. Thievery Corporation
will enact the first "Lights Out" moment on stage, as both towers and all
marquees at Mandalay Bay, including all concert lights, shut down for one
minute. Kicking off a series of "Lights Out" bar promotions across the
country, Lights Out Las Vegas is a symbolic gesture to call attention to the
vision that "In An ABSOLUT World" -- if every consumer committed to turning
off their lights, the effects of global warming could be reduced and the
planet would literally be a cooler place.
"There is no better place than Las Vegas to see what could happen when the
lights go out, and the Outernational Music Festival is the perfect forum for
this symbolic gesture as we bring together two great musical acts, one of the
biggest and best properties in Sin City and thousands of the coolest
partygoers on the planet," said Ian Crystal, Brand Director, ABSOLUT Spirits
Company, Inc. "With many 'Lights Out' events to follow, ABSOLUT Vodka is
taking the lead in the spirits industry to communicate environmental
responsibility to consumers, which will hopefully inspire them to make simple
changes in their daily lives."
To help Las Vegas cool down, ABSOLUT is hosting a series of eco-friendly
activities over the weekend:
-- ABSOLUT Global Cooling(TM) -branded Prius hybrid cars will offer safe,
eco-friendly and complimentary rides to Mandalay Bay guests on June 21
following the concert.
-- "Make a Statement" photo stations will be set up at the concert for
guests to pledge their commitment to the environment and get a Global Cooling
photo to commemorate this special night in Las Vegas.
-- Live Earth, a partner in the Global Cooling initiative, will screen a
series of short films during the concert's music breaks.
Lights Out On-Premise Promotions
Following Lights Out Las Vegas, ABSOLUT will continue its series of
"Lights Out" parties in bars and nightclubs across the country from July
through September. At these events, ABSOLUT will invite consumers to take an
active role in their commitment to the environment by seeing first hand how
alternative sources of energy can turn the lights out on global warming.
By visiting the Global Cooling stations during the bar promotions,
consumers can compete to produce energy through human-powered generators and
bicycles. At the end of the evening, ABSOLUT will turn the lights off at each
participating venue for five minutes, which will reveal to bar patrons if they
have generated enough "heat" to keep the party going. If enough energy is
created, a six-foot replica of an ABSOLUT bottle will be fully lit --
demonstrating their "cool" contribution to the lights out initiative.
Every Sip Makes a Statement
Part of the ABSOLUT Global Cooling campaign is the year-long "Every Sip
Makes a Statement" promotion. The program encourages consumers at all touch
points to get involved in Global Cooling by registering their ABSOLUT bottle
or cocktail codes at www.absolut.com/GlobalCooling, where they have the
opportunity to activate their eco-donation to one of three eco-charity
partners. The charities selected were based on their creative solutions to
making the Earth a "cooler place" and include the Environmental Media
Association*, The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation(TM)* and The Ocean
Foundation(TM)*. Throughout 2008, ABSOLUT will donate up to $500,000 to
support these Global Cooling initiatives.
An ABSOLUT Approach to the Climate Crisis
ABSOLUT Vodka is the first company in the spirits industry to introduce
carbon offsetting as part of its environmental work, and since 2003, has
reduced its carbon dioxide emissions by 60 percent (per liter vodka). Today,
ABSOLUT has one of the world's most energy efficient distilleries, decreasing
its use of energy by 30 percent through a very high level of energy recovery
and reducing its use of fossil fuel.
Every bottle of ABSOLUT VODKA is made of 100 percent concept cultivated
wheat, which minimizes nitrogen leaching and reduces use of chemical
pesticides. ABSOLUT strives to optimize its use of natural resources, and to
choose eco-friendly alternatives as much as possible. As an example, the
ABSOLUT bottle is made of 43 percent recycled glass. ABSOLUT is determined to
continuously reduce packaging, increase the re-use of transport packaging and
improve waste separation at source, and to find a market for waste products.
For more information on ABSOLUT Global Cooling(TM), please visit
www.absolut.com/GlobalCooling
About The Absolut Spirits Company, Inc.
An official partner of Live Earth, The Absolut Spirits Company, Inc., a
subsidiary of V&S Group, produces and markets ABSOLUT(R) VODKA, Level (TM)
Vodka, FRIS(R) Vodka, Plymouth(TM) Gin and Cruzan(R) Rum. The Absolut Spirits
Company focuses on reducing the impact on climate change, sustainable
agriculture and optimizing use of natural resources as mandated by V&S Group.
To view details on the company's efforts to combat global warming, visit
www.vsgroup.com and click on "Corporate Responsibility/Environment."
About Live Earth
Based in Los Angeles, Live Earth is an organization that seeks to leverage
the power of music and integrated entertainment to combat climate change. On
July 7, 2007, Live Earth held the largest global entertainment event in
history, staging simultaneous concerts in New York, London, Sydney, Tokyo,
Shanghai, Rio de Janeiro, Johannesburg and Hamburg, as well as special
broadcast events in Antarctica, Kyoto and Washington, DC. The day featured
more than 150 musical acts -- a mix of legendary artists like The Police,
Genesis, Bon Jovi and Madonna with the latest headliners like Kanye West,
Kelly Clarkson, Black Eyed Peas and Jack Johnson. Through TV, radio and the
Internet, the concert reached an estimated two billion people.
Live Earth's 24 hours of music across seven continents delivered a
worldwide call to action and the solutions necessary to answer that call. With
this maiden event, Live Earth has launched a multi-year campaign to drive
individuals, corporations and governments to take action to solve the climate
crisis. Live Earth is partnered with former Vice President and recent Nobel
Peace Prize winner Al Gore and his Alliance for Climate Protection. Live Earth
was founded by Kevin Wall, CEO of Control Room, the company that produced the
concerts globally. For more information, please visit www.LiveEarth.org
*Please contact Sarah Bessette or Zlata Faerman for more information about
the ABSOLUT Global Cooling(TM) charity partners and how the donations will be
used. For more information on the eco-charities, please see Addendum A
(attached).
ADDENDUM A
BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON GLOBAL COOLING CHARITIES

The ABSOLUT Global Cooling(TM) charities include:

-- The Environmental Media Association - Linking the power of celebrity to
environmental awareness, EMA believes that through television, film and music,
the entertainment community can affect change in a positive way. To reduce the
number of plastic bags discarded into the environment, ABSOLUT is partnering
with EMA to create stylish, reusable tote bags and inspire the use of tote
bags for all shopping. These limited bags, designed by celebrities, will be
available free of charge nationwide beginning in New York, Los Angeles, Miami,
Chicago, Austin and San Francisco. For more information, visit
www.ema-online.org
-- The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation(TM) - The FTPF is dedicated to
planting edible, fruitful trees and plants to benefit needy populations and
improve the surrounding air, soil, and water. In order to help directly offset
carbon dioxide emissions, ABSOLUT is partnering with FTPF to plant fruit tree
groves called "ABSOLUT Global Cooling Zones" in metropolitan areas with an
emphasis towards those locations devastated by natural disasters. For more
information, visit www.ftpf.org
-- The Ocean Foundation(TM) - The Ocean Foundation's mission is to
support, strengthen and promote those organizations dedicated to reversing the
trend of destruction of ocean environments around the world. Similar to
planting trees on land, planting seagrass beds will help increase the rate at
which near-shore coastal shelves sequester carbon from the atmosphere.
Proceeds from ABSOLUT will go towards replanting coastal seagrass beds near
Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami and Boston. For more information,
visit www.oceanfdn.org
SOURCE ABSOLUT Vodka

Sarah Bessette of The Absolut Spirits Company, +1-212-641-8653,
sarah.bessette@absolut.com, or Zlata Faerman of Ketchum, +1-646-935-4185,
zlata.faerman@ketchum.com, for ABSOLUT Vodka