The Pernod Ricard-owned Swedish vodka brand says the new designs “bypass design conventions to artistically express the core essence of each flavour”.
Absolut global design director,Anna Kamjou said: “This is one of the most dramatic changes we’ve ever made, and our biggest and most transformative design project ever. Our goal was to give our customers distinctive designs that are unlike anything one has ever seen. Vibrant, captivating bottles that bring energy to any occasion and celebrate the fact that every flavour in the Absolut vodka range is something extraordinary.
“The standard thinking says a fruit-flavoured vodka requires fruit imagery. We wanted to break that convention. We asked our design team to reach into the symbolism and myths tied to the ingredients to find each flavour’s core essence -- and then amplify that essence through art,” said Kamjou.
The company says after interpreting each flavour’s essence, the designers worked to “elevate these impressions artistically into something premium, contemporary and progressive”.
“We brought a ‘by-hand’ aesthetic to the project,” says Mattias Lindstedt, lead designer from design agency The Brand Union. “And by that I mean we stepped away from our computers, grabbed paper, pens and brushes, and – following the long tradition of Swedish design and craftsmanship – set out to communicate not a flavour per se, but the core essence behind each flavour. And to do so in a quintessential Absolut way, under one harmonising idea.”
“This is an exciting time for Absolut,” says Jonas Tåhlin, VP global marketing at The Absolut Company. “While most flavoured vodkas look more or less the same, we are bringing a full range of innovative designs to market. Artistic, modern and unlike anything else around, we believe they will reinforce our position as creative leader.”
The re-designed bottles include Absolut Apeach, Absolut Pears, Absolut Raspberri, Absolut Vanilia, Absolut Mango, Absolut Ruby Red, Absolut Berri Açaí, Absolut Äpple, Absolut Cherrys, Absolut Gräpe, Absolut Wild Tea and Absolut Cilantro.