Rovio Entertainment Ltd partners with Carlsberg group’s Baltika Breweries LLC to bring four new Angry Birds soft drink flavours in Russia

Espoo, Finland, 16-12-2014 — /EuropaWire/ — Rovio Entertainment Ltd is proud to announce a significant production and distribution partnership with Baltika Breweries LLC, part of the Carlsberg group and a leader of the Russian beer market. This collaboration will bring four new Angry Birds soft drink flavours – Red, Chuck, Bomb and Minion Pig, to all over Russia, targeting millions of consumers.

Baltika Breweries starts producing and distributing four Angry Birds soft drink flavours – Red (tropical taste), Chuck (orange), Bomb (cola taste) and Minion Pig (apple-pear). Angry Birds drinks were launched in Finland in 2011 and in Russia 2012 as an imported product. Baltika was chosen by Rovio because of its market leadership, quality excellence and ability to bring the best products to the consumers. The drinks will be produced by Baltika Breweries under Rovio licence, using ingredient technology which has deserved worldwide recognition.

“Russia is strategically a very important market for Rovio. This contract with one of the most prestigious fast moving consumer goods company in Russia will further strengthen Rovio’s local presence.  We believe in potential and aim to operate with key players on various business segments. This is a major step to bring our fun and quirky Angry Birds brand to millions of Russian fans”, said Pekka Rantala Chief Commercial Officer at Rovio.

“Carbonated soft drinks are very popular all over the world, including Russia. And we launch the production of Angry Birds drink by the Rovio license to strengthen non-alcoholic beverages portfolio of the company and to give the consumers new interesting drinks”, said Maxim Lazarenko Vice President Marketing at Baltika Breweries.

Angry Birds is one of the most popular mobile brands in the world and in Russia (data by RBC, 2013). The drinks will feature all new 0,33cl can design and for the first time include Angry Birds award codes that unlock Angry Birds games content. The new Angry Birds drink will be soon available all over Russia in modern and traditional trade.

Rovio has become one of the top 10 global entertainment licensors in the world, raising this form of business to new levels in Finnish IP brand export. Rovio has grown its Consumer Products operations to include over 400 licensees with sales in 153 countries and over $2 billion retail value, choosing its partners based on market leadership, quality excellence and ability to bring the best products to Rovio’s fans globally.

Rovio has lately announced several important deals in key markets across the globe. In China, Rovio signed a partnership with Alibaba and Shanghai Media Group to introduce Angry Birds Stella to the market and a deal with Gougou Group to open nine Angry Birds attraction parks by 2018. In Brazil, Rovio has partnered with Burger King to bring the Angry Birds brand to restaurants across the country.

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Rovio: e: media@rovio.com | p: +358 400 214526

Rovio Entertainment Ltd, the creator of Angry Birds™, is a global industry-changing entertainment media company headquartered in Finland that creatively combines digital with physical, breaking the boundaries of traditional content delivery. What started as a casual game in 2009 became an international phenomenon within a few months of its release. Today Angry Birds is not only the most downloaded game of all time, it is a worldwide known entertainment brand reaching out into publishing, licensing, animations, books and location based entertainment. Rovio’s animated Angry Birds feature film is slated for July, 2016. www.rovio.com

JSC Baltika Breweries, part of the Carlsberg Group, is one of the biggest Russian FMCG companies; from 1996 it has been No. 1 on the Russian beer market. Baltika owns 10 breweries in Russia and has a wide brand portfolio including nonalcoholic brands. Such as water “Zhivoy Ruchey” (Life Spring), kvass Khlebny Krai (Granary Land), energy soft drink “Flash Up” and “Ahmad Ice Tea”.

The company is a significant part of Carlsberg Group and its Eastern Europe region, which also includes Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Baltika Breweries is a leading exporter of Russian beer: its products are represented in more than 75 countries around the world, the company accounts for 67% of all Russian beer exports. The Baltika brand rates first in Europe in sales (Euromonitor 2013).