ABSOLUT VODKA is happy to announce the launch of its new pear flavored product: ABSOLUT PEARS. The new premium vodka is available to consumers in the US by January 2007, and in Global Travel Retail on May 1, 2007.

ABSOLUT PEARS has a fresh delicate taste of mellow pears and a long fruity aftertaste. As with all members of the ABSOLUT VODKA family, it is made from all natural ingredients and contains no added sugar or sweetener.

It is always exiting to be the first to venture into a new flavor segment, as we are with ABSOLUT PEARS, The number of vodka launches continues at the same speed it has had in the last five years, making the flavor segment the fastest growing in the US. With ABSOLUT PEARS we continue to secure our position as the leader of the segment, not only because it is the first pear flavored vodka, but because of our position as the leading premium brand in the flavored vodka segment, says Eva Kempe-Forsberg, Vice President Marketing at V&S Absolut Spirits in Stockholm.

The ABSOLUT PEARS bottle design is elegant, with soft, subtle lines that complement the fruit. The organic pear shape is incorporated into the design and underlines the sensual personality of the fruit and the product. In the print launch campaign for ABSOLUT PEARS, an age-old truth is being challenged in a typical ABSOLUT tongue-in-cheek tone of voice; the ad show a green snake wrapped around an ABSOLUT PEARS bottle. A pear shaped silhouette is clearly visible on the snake and the headline reads: The New Temptation.

Pears are naturally more tempting than the traditional apple they are delicate, soft and unique. Only in season for a few months of the year. Who can resist a perfect Anjou pear? says Kempe-Forsberg. Kempe-Forsberg continues: There is a creative heritage within ABSOLUT VODKA that is as old as the brand itself. It was this heritage that first inspired us, in 1988, to introduce ABSOLUT CITRON at a time when no one had thought about flavored vodkas. With ABSOLUT PEARS, we continue this heritage and we have a strong launch planned where all the elements, from the bottle design, via the vodka itself, to the accompanying advertising campaign, complement each other perfectly. I am really looking forward to see the roll-out.

The Absolut Spirits Co. has unveiled its ninth flavor extension, a pear-flavored vodka slated to launch on January 5, 2007. “Absolut is coming out strong in 2007 with the first new flavor of the year—one that we think will be an instant favorite because it’s so fresh and different,” says Matt Aeppli, Vice President of Marketing for The Absolut Spirits Co.

The Absolut Pears bottle will be dressed in two shades of green and will feature subtle curves inspired by the shape of the Anjou pear. The new offering will be available in 50-ml. ($2), 750-ml. ($20-$22) and 1-L. ($27-$29) bottles. The V&S-owned Absolut Spirits Co. is continuing to promote its ever-growing flavor range with the "Find Your Flavor" ad campaign that was launched about a year ago.

Absolut boasts the distinction of being the top-selling vodka in the U.S. market. The iconic vodka brand which, including its flavor extensions, sold 4.73 million cases in 2005 in the U.S. alone, has had to defend its top rank against a formidable slew of premium vodka brands, including Grey Goose. In the past year, Absolut has altered its advertising approach, launching TV spots for the first time to complement its famed print executions.