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Absolut targets growth with ‘brand platform’
By Amy HopkinsAfter suffering a value write-down last month, Absolut Vodka has revealed a new “brand platform”, called Taste Perfection, to target growth in the UK.
Absolut’s new Taste Perfection brand platform includes the launch of the new 13th Classic cocktail competitionTaste Perfection has been launched to demonstrate Absolut’s role in classic cocktails and includes a new nationwide bartender competition, 13th Classic.
The activation will coincide with the UK launch of Absolut’s new bottle design, which was first unveiled globally in April this year.
Aiming to “create an icon of the future”, the design features updated logo, new medallion design and brand signifier, as well as lighter glass weight. It will hit shelves in the UK this November.
The 13th Classic bartender competition tasks bartenders with creating 12 classic vodka cocktails, plus an additional “13th classic”.
“Classic cocktails dominate the top 10 cocktails in the UK and we’re seeing an exciting revivalist trend, where the future of cocktails lies in the past, “ said Adam Boita, head of marketing at Pernod Ricard UK.
“53% of frequent cocktail drinkers bought a cocktail in the last week and 50% experiment with variations on the cocktails they like.”
He continued: “The UK has some of the world’s best bartenders and we’re turning to them for inspiration. The 13th Classic competition will be open to all UK bartenders, allowing them to put themselves on the map by establishing the next classic cocktail.”
The winner of the competition will be taken on a trip to Sweden as part of the Absolut Akademi Pro – a bartender-focused education programme. They will be taken on a three-day visit to the town of Ahus in Southern Sweden, where Absolut is produced.
Entries open on 2 October and close on 29 November. To enter the competition, bartenders should go to www.absolut.com/uk/13thclassic.
The launch of Taste Perfection comes just one month after brand owner Pernod Ricard announced a €404m write-down of the value of Absolut Vodka, which has struggled in it key US market.
However, Absolut’s Original variant has grown 14.3% in the UK on-trade, while its flavoured range is up 24.3%.