Absolut 100 sales take off

V&S Absolut Spirits is to widen the distribution of its first travel-retail exclusive line extension - the male-oriented Absolut 100 - after a highly successful six months .

The Swedish company has selected 100 top style bars worldwide for the roll-out of the new, higher-strength vodka from January next year. The participating bars, which will promote the product with various Absolut 100 cocktails, include Below Zero in London, Pontus! in Stockholm, Nobu in Milan and the Beach Road Hotel in Sydney.

V&S duty-free distributor, Maxxium Global Travel Retail (MGTR), will support the initiative with promotions at relevant airport shops, including a consumer guide to the bars.

"With this bar launch we take the collaboration between global travel retail and domestic markets a step further," said Anders Olsson, director of V&S Absolut Spirits Global Travel Retail.

"We see the campaign as an effort to generate hype in preparation of future domestic market launches, while further boosting sales in travel retail," he added.

The travel-retail channel's growing importance to Absolut is underlined by new flavour Absolut Mango, which will launch exclusively in travel retail in February 2008 before a wider roll-out.