Samuel Ross designs China-inspired Absolut vodka bottle

British fashion designer and founder of A-Cold-Wall Samuel Ross has designed a limited-edition China-inspired Absolut vodka bottle via his industrial design practice SR_A.

The one-litre vodka bottles have a limited run of 1,350 bottles and will be available in China through Absolut’s WeChat mini-programme, Absolut Lab. In addition, Ross has also created 100 limited-edition gift sets, including a cocktail shaker and ice bucket to match the red of the bottle design.

The design “champions the mixing of cultures,” explains Absolut in the press release, offering a fusion of Ross’ signature avant-garde vision and Chinese culture on Absolut's iconic apothecary-shaped bottle. Each bottle is embossed with a heatmap design of China’s largest cities, the dots and silhouettes in Chinese red, the colour that symbolises life, vitality and light in China, representing the coming together of people and ideas that lead to bursts of energy, creativity and diversity.

Commenting on the project, Ross said: "I have always respected and loved Absolut's viewpoint and how the brand conveys a unique message. In terms of colour, typography and bottle design, it is formidable. There is also an intensity and richness and joy for the brand to unlock. An opportunity to add layers to the strong identity, to tell a different story – without changing it, providing a new window to the brand for every demographic."

Tad Greenough, global chief creative officer at The Absolut Company, added: “We want to champion the coming together of different cultures in cities that harbour inclusion and diversity. We believe that when we mix we create better together and we’ve been partnering with artists and creative communities for 40 years to bring this message to the forefront. It was natural for us to work with Samuel Ross in a collaboration that brings together his industrial, London-inspired aesthetic to a Chinese context.”