Absolut Vodka & SPRITE: The art of seamlessly bringing together two iconic beverage brands

The vibrant and zesty colour gradient reflects the perfect mix of Absolut Vodka’s full-bodied, smooth character with SPRITE’s highly refreshing lemon and lime flavour.

Further to announcing the relationship in October 2023, The Coca-Cola Company and Pernod Ricard have revealed the can design for the new Absolut Vodka & SPRITE pre-mixed cocktail, which is now available to purchase in Great Britain and shortly followed by the Netherlands, Spain, and Germany. 

AbsolutVodka & Sprite’s packaging features two of the world’s most recognizable global trademarks. The new product’s visual identity system was developed by The Coca-Cola Company’s Global Design Team and Pernod Ricard’s RTD Business Unit with Stockholm-based BVD as the design agency. Affectionately nicknamed ‘Northern Lights’, the design puts Absolut Vodka’s iconic bottle silhouette front and centre. The vibrant and zesty colour gradient reflects the perfect mix of Absolut’s full-bodied, smooth character with SPRITE’s highly refreshing lemon and lime flavour. The bold use of icy metallic points to the beverage’s unique premium quality, clearly setting it apart in the Alcoholic-Ready-to-Drink market.

Rapha Abreu, Vice President Global Design at The Coca-Cola Company explains, “The responsibility that lies behind two of the world’s most iconic beverage brands creating an entirely new entity is not something we’ve taken lightly. SPRITE is unique in terms of its flavour and ingredients, and it’s always been a bartender favourite for mixing and cocktails. Our relationship with Pernod Ricard has allowed us to create a product that’s more convenient for our customers and produce the perfect blended flavour of Absolut Vodka & SPRITE. The challenge for us, was how to responsibly represent that from a design perspective.”  

Francesco Ottaviano, Global RTD Portfolio Director at Pernod Ricard continues, “Both SPRITE and Absolut Vodka have an amazing, rich heritage and design history. We’ve relished this delicious opportunity to combine these unique brands, leveraging the iconicity of each, and taking that forward to the final product.” 

Debasree Dasgupta, VP Global Marketing, Absolut Vodka, adds: “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.” 

Absolut was established in 1879 in Sweden and since then, it has become a world-leading premium spirit, made in one of the most energy-efficient distilleries in the world. While Sweden is its home, Absolut Vodka spans more than 140 markets around the world. Its iconic bottle has been interpreted hundreds of times by renowned international artists and fashion designers. SPRITE was established in 1960 and has grown to be one of the biggest brands in The Coca‑Cola Company’s global portfolio. SPRITE has a similarly rich heritage; first developed in 1959 it started life as part of the FANTA line with the name ‘Clear Lemon FANTA and was created to be the perfect mixer for alcoholic beverages. Two years later the drink was introduced to the U.S. market with its new name: SPRITE. It has since become one of the most recognizable brand names in the world and one of the biggest brands in The Coca-Cola Company’s global portfolio.

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