“ABSOLUT UNIQUE is a daring concept, even for a company as passionate about creativity as ABSOLUT,” says Jonas Tåhlin, Vice President Global Marketing at The Absolut Company. “Anyone could do one or two unique products. We’re making close to four million.”

For ABSOLUT UNIQUE, ABSOLUT had to re-engineer its entire production line. It required a complex interaction of human and mechanical elements, and a carefully orchestrated randomness, to achieve the desired end result. Splash guns and colour-generating machines were set up and complex coating, pattern and placement algorithms were programmed in to ensure that no two bottles would be alike. Thirty-five different colours were used, and fifty-one pattern types were applied to the bottles. A striking look was achieved by colour contrasts and a white, mat paper label that features each bottle’s unique number.

The result was even better than anticipated. “ABSOLUT UNIQUE feels a bit ‘mad scientist,’ a bit street art,” says Jonas Tåhlin. “When the bottles first appeared on the conveyer belt, we cheered. By that point the production line looked more like an artist’s studio than a bottle factory. These are really striking bottles. Everyone will find a personal favourite.”

“A lot of world-class creators have made their interpretations of our iconic bottle. But this time ABSOLUT was the artist,” continues Tåhlin. “Our customers are all unique – so we wanted to give them each a one-of-a-kind bottle as individual as they are. We loved the concept. Making it happen was the hard part. Along the way we doubted whether this would be at all possible. Well, guess what? It is”.