Vodka brand turns product design on its head

The normal principle behind product design is to design once, then reproduce millions of times. Swedish drinks brand Absolut Vodka decided to do the exact opposite.

The concept, led by creative directors John Lagerqvist and Mårten Knutsson, was to make four million unique bottles, so that each and every bottle could justifiably be called a limited edition.

Randomizing production

The company rebuilt its production line to vary every possible aspect of its glass decoration. The new system defined a range of possible colours, coatings, patterns, and paint methods and then let the machines loose to create four million individual designs at random. You can see them in action in the teaser trailer below:

The bottles are being sold around the world, and in most markets they'll be no more expensive than a regular bottle of Absolut.

With innovative marketing campaigns like this, and the rise of customisations trends such as online product services and 3D printing, could the era of mass production be evolving into something very different?

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Have you seen an innovative example of packaging or product design? Tell us about it in the comments!