• by Erik Oster , January 16, 2024

Absolut and Ocean Spray’s plan to put vodka cran in a can has come to fruition.

To promote the launch of the Absolut & Ocean Spray Vodka Cranberry Ready-To-Drink Cocktail, the Pernod Ricard vodka brand is releasing a “Cran in a Can” Galentine’s Day cocktail kit, designed to connect consumers with the right ingredients for a perfect night-in with friends to celebrate the holiday. (Galentine’s Day, for the uninitiated, is the annual event celebrating women’s friendship introduced on the iconic TV show “Parks & Recreation.”)

The “Cran in a Can” kit includes four cans of Absolut & Ocean Spray Vodka Cranberry Ready-to-Drink, reusable disco ball straws, two limited-edition Absolut x Ocean Spray Corkcicle Koozies, and a gift card to order takeout or snacks.

For the release of the seasonal item, the Pernod Ricard vodka brand turned to two celebrity friends: former “The Bachelor” contestant Becca Tilley and radio host Tanya Rad. The pair also host a podcast together, “Scrubbing In.”

“Absolut Vodka and Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice have been enjoyed together as a Vodka-Cran cocktail for decades in bars and across homes. This is a friendship for the ages, which is what made pop culture personalities Becca Tilley and Tanya Rad the perfect partners for this campaign,” Pernod Ricard USA Vice President, RTD & Convenience North America Natalie Accari told Marketing Daily.

“On an episode [of “Scrubbing In”], Becca shared her Galentine’s Day party cocktail made with cranberry juice and vodka so we of course wanted to get her and Tanya samples of the new Vodka Cran RTD,” she added.

The RTD cocktail just launched by Absolut is available in four flavors: Vodka Cranberry, Vodka Cran-Grape, Vodka Cran-Pineapple and Vodka Cran-Raspberry.

Ocean Spray initially introduced the vodka cranberry cocktail, initially dubbed the “Red Devil,” and subsequently sometimes referred to as a “Cape Cod” or “Cape Codder,” in the 1940s. Absolut and Ocean Spray initially announced the collaboration last spring.

“With the product now rolling out on shelves nationwide, we were eager to share its availability with consumers,” with the Galentine's Day promotion timed "to give a month runway to purchase ahead of the holiday," Accari  told Marketing Daily. She declined to say whether there were any concerns about running the promotion in the middle of Dry January. 

The limited-edition kit is available for pre-order on Absolut’s website now.