By Stefanie Collins, editor bars&clubs
Unchanged since 1979, the Absolut vodka bottle is set for a refresh, with an updated design due to hit shelves toward the end of 2015.
The new bottle is a “transformation of the original”, and will feature an updated two line logo, a new script, a redesigned medallion, reduced glass weight and a new brand signifier. Created in collaboration with Brand Union, a global brand and creative design consultancy agency, the redesign process saw a team of creatives come together including a master illustrator and master calligrapher.
According to Peder Clason, Absolut's global brand strategy director, while the bottle has been iconic for several generations it was time to make a new statement.
“We were extremely privileged to work with the very best creatives within their discipline,” he says. “The new bottle maintains everything that is Absolut Vodka – bold, original and creative, making it ready to face to future.”
The new brand signifier has been placed on the back of the bottle – a large etched “A” – while the shape has been altered to feature more clearly defined shoulders, a straightened neck and body, and a flattened bottom. The brand is also focussing on environmental impact, using a reduced glass weight to minimize its footprint.
The redesigned medallion on every bottle features a portrait of Lars Olsson Smith, the founder of Absolut, who pioneered the continuous distillation process.
While the bottle is set to change, the brand is emphasising that the vodka will remain the same. As part of its ‘One Source’ philosophy, every bottle of Absolut is crafted in the village of Åhus in Sweden.
The new bottle will be distributed worldwide in Spring/Summer 2015/16.