ABSOLUT(R) Vodka Puts a Spotlight on Los Angeles with New Limited-Edition, City-Inspired...

ABSOLUT(R) Vodka Puts a Spotlight on Los Angeles with New Limited-Edition,
City-Inspired Flavor
World's Most Iconic Vodka Awarded Honorary Star; Becomes First Friend of the
Hollywood Walk of Fame

LOS ANGELES, July 22 /PRNewswire/ -- 'In An ABSOLUT World, LIGHTS, CAMERA,
VODKA!' Starting today, everyone can have a taste of the LA lifestyle as the
world's most iconic vodka introduces ABSOLUT(R) LOS ANGELES, a
limited-edition, city-inspired flavor honoring the City of Angels.
Celebrating the city's trend-forward ideals, the bold, new flavor is made with
an all-natural symphony of blueberry, acai berry, acerola cherry, and fruity
notes of pomegranate. ABSOLUT LOS ANGELES will be available beginning in July
at bars, restaurants, nightclubs and retailers nationwide.
In the late 1980s, ABSOLUT launched its "Cities" advertising campaign with
a wink and a nod to the intrinsic flare and historical heartbeat of what made
each city special. Last year, the brand brought the "Cities" campaign to life
with the launch of ABSOLUT(R) NEW ORLEANS, a flavor reminiscent of the Big
Easy - mango with a spicy black pepper kick. To introduce the limited-edition
series and to support the rebuilding of the region, ABSOLUT donated all
profits of the product -- $2 million -- to five Gulf Coast charities. With
the launch of ABSOLUT LOS ANGELES, ABSOLUT once again revives the campaign
with style and shine, inviting everyone to enjoy a taste of Hollywood.
"Through our 'In An ABSOLUT World' campaign, we challenge consumers to
imagine their own ideal, and Los Angeles is one of the most idealistic places
on earth," said Tim Murphy, Vice President of Marketing, The Absolut Spirits
Company, Inc. "For this city-inspired flavor, we wanted to capture the
opportunity that LA represents to so many -- reaching for the stars and
recognizing their dreams. ABSOLUT LOS ANGELES will evoke an inimitable new
'taste' that honors all the attributes that makes the City of Angels so
exclusive and awe-inspiring -- from the stunning packaging to the unique
flavor profile, all wrapped inside the iconic ABSOLUT bottle."
First Friend of the Hollywood Walk of Fame
To kick-off the launch, ABSOLUT(R) Vodka is stepping up to be the first
donor to the Friends of the Walk of Fame, an initiative to fund the
restoration of a cherished Los Angeles icon, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which
will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2010. ABSOLUT will be the first to
receive a "Friend of the Walk of Fame" honorary star on Hollywood Boulevard
from the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, the creators and guardians of the
star-studded Walk of Fame that has become a world-famous symbol for Hollywood
and the entertainment industry. The Friends of the Walk of Fame honorary
star, located at the entrance to the Kodak Theatre, is a tangible recognition
of ABSOLUT Vodka's substantial contribution that will be visible to the
millions of annual visitors from around the world.
"ABSOLUT Vodka recognized that Hollywood and the Walk of Fame are an
enduring legacy for Los Angeles and the entertainment industry. A star in our
book, we appreciate its contribution to preserve the Walk of Fame for future
generations and applaud it as a visionary corporate leader," said Leron
Gubler, president and CEO, Hollywood Chamber of Commerce.
Green Innovation Begins with Green Way LA(TM) Partnership
As part of ABSOLUT Vodka's commitment to supporting the spirit of the city
of Los Angeles, ABSOLUT is donating $250,000 from the profits of ABSOLUT LOS
ANGELES to Green Way LA(TM), an organization dedicated to restoring nature and
natural functions in the city, and encouraging urban residents to "live
lightly" to improve the environment, health and welfare of their communities.
The donation will be used towards the Green Way LA(TM) 'Green Streets'
initiative, which transforms streets, curbs and sidewalks so that rainwater
and other polluted water is naturally cleaned before flowing into the Pacific
Ocean, and brings beneficial nature back to urban dwellers.
"ABSOLUT Vodka's support allows us to focus on transforming our urban
environment to truly make a difference in people's lives," said Larry Smith,
Executive Director of Green Way LA(TM). "Green Way LA is leading the way to
make the green ideals of 'Los Angeles as the Greenest City' a reality."
5,515 Minutes of Fame
ABSOLUT LOS ANGELES will be toasted with a celebrity-studded, red-carpet
event in Los Angeles on Wednesday, July 23, with host Adrian Grenier adding
some Hollywood sizzle and DJ Myles Hendrick spinning the hottest tunes out of
LA. Spectacular out-of-home executions include an acrylic 20-foot bottle of
ABSOLUT LOS ANGELES mounted above Hollywood's iconic KODAK Theatre, which will
be donated to Aaron R. Thomas Design to be "upcycled" into furniture, lighting
or sculptural pieces with a percentage of the sale of these items going to
Green Way LA(TM). An integrated marketing campaign featuring advertisements
in national magazines depicts giant bottles of ABSOLUT LOS ANGELES under
spotlights with the tag line 'In An ABSOLUT World, LIGHTS, CAMERA, VODKA.'
Furthermore, ABSOLUT has partnered with high-end clothing designer Lisa
Kline to create an ABSOLUT LOS ANGELES window display and feature the product
in her men's boutique on Robertson Boulevard. Signature cocktails include
'ABSOLUT La La Land' featuring cranberry juice, pomegranate juice and
lemon-lime soda, garnished with a squeeze of lime, and 'The Sunset Strip' made
with ABSOLUT LOS ANGELES, fresh lime juice, muddled watermelon and cranberry
juice. Bottle images and additional ABSOLUT LOS ANGELES cocktail recipes are
available upon request. Visit absolut.com/cities for more information and to
vote on the next city in this limited-edition series.
About The Absolut Spirits Company, Inc.
The Absolut Spirits Company, Inc., headquartered in New York, is a
subsidiary of V&S Group and operates under the auspices of V&S Absolut Spirits
in Stockholm, which produces and markets ABSOLUT(R) VODKA, ABSOLUT CUT(TM),
Level(TM) Vodka, FRIS(R) Vodka, Plymouth(TM) Gin and Cruzan(R) Rum. The
Absolut Spirits Company, Inc. imports ABSOLUT VODKA, Level Vodka, Plymouth Gin
and Cruzan Rum in the US and distributes the brands through FutureBrands LLC,
a joint venture with Beam Global Spirits and Wine.
About the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce
The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, representing 1,000 businesses in the
Hollywood area, was founded in 1921 and is the second largest chamber of
commerce in Los Angeles.
About Green Way(TM)
Green Way(TM) is an L.A. based non-profit organization dedicated to
improving our urban way of life by restoring nature's services in Los Angeles
and other cities. Through the transformation of city neighborhoods, Green Way
restores the natural cycle of water as the catalyst for community-based
environmental stewardship. It is as an outgrowth of the long standing L.A.
based environmental non-profit, North East Trees.
SOURCE The Absolut Spirits Company, Inc

Sarah Bessette of The Absolut Spirits Company, Inc., +1-917-770-4411,
sarah.bessette@absolut.com; Zlata Faerman of Ketchum, +1-646-935-4185,
zlata.faerman@ketchum.com for The Absolut Spirits Company, Inc.