Absolut: Dissection

The spot is based upon an Absolut print campaign which features a cocktail glass exploding out to reveal the liquid contained within it. “Dissection” expands on that concept by disassembling a full Absolut Vodka bottle, lingering on the vodka within, and then reassembling it by the end of the spot. About 80% of the liquid featured in the spot is real, photographed slow-motion vodka, but there are a couple of shots that feature completely CG vodka.

Directed by Psyop with visual effects by MassMarket.

Title: Dissection
Client: Absolut Spirits, Stockholm
Agency: TBWA/Chiat/Day, New York
Worldwide Creative Director: Rob Smiley
Creative Director: Lew Willig
Copywriter: Meghan Simons
Art Director: Megan Williams
Producer: Jamie Grady

Production Company: Psyop, New York
Directors: Marco Spier, Chris Staves, Mate Steinforth
Designer: Mate Steinforth
Director of Photography: Martin Ahlgren
Executive Producer: Lucia Grillo
Producer: Nathan Jew
Assistant Producer: Tarun Charaipotra
Live Action Producer: Paul Middlemiss

Visual Effects Company: MassMarket, New York
VFX Executive Producer: Justin Lane
Technical Director: Jacob Slutzky
Lead Flame Artist: Nick Tanner
Flame Artists: Chris Staves, Theo Maniatis
Pre Visual Artist: Damon Ciarelli
Editor: Cass Vanini
XSI Team: Dave Barosin, Jan Bitzer, Andrea Gebhardt, Jae Ham, Bashir Hamid, Andy Hara, Florian Witzel, Miguel Salek, Boris Ustaev, Jason Vega, Lee Wolland
Roto Artists: Leslie Chung, David Marte, Joon Park

Sound mixer: Peter Holcomb, Sound Lounge, New York
Music: Small Sails, Somnambulist

Pearlfisher creates packs for new Absolut vodka

Swedish vodka brand Absolut has unveiled a new range called Absolut 100, with packaging and identity by Pearlfisher.

Developed for the duty free and travel retail market, the vodka’s look uses a minimal, masculine colour palette of semi-opaque black glass, with chrome typography contrasted with grey lettering.

The design aims to convey ‘strength through masculinity and exclusivity’, ensuring that there is no confusion among the flavoured vodkas in the market.



The 100° proof/50 per cent abv spirit is aimed at the discerning, responsible drinking business traveller.

Pearlfisher, which is a long-term strategic design partner for Absolut, was briefed to base the design around strength, and has used the iconic Absolut identity and bottle shape.

‘Absolut 100 is a drink that is not for everyone,’ says Pearlfisher creative partner Jonathan Ford. ‘The concept needed to reflect masculinity and exclusivity, and we were inspired by the contemporary visual language of performance cars and cutting-edge technology.’