Gallery: What Would Don Draper Make With a 3-D Printer?
Photos by TBWA Hakuhodo01ice-07
In partnership with their marketing firm, [TBWA Hakuhodo](http://www.tbwahakuhodo.co.jp/), Suntory has commissioned a series of [one-of-a-kind ice sculptures](http://3drocks.jp/en/) that take the form of space shuttles, guitars, classical Japanese architecture, and Michelangelo's *David*.
Photos by TBWA Hakuhodo02ice-03
“There are 3-D things, 3-D printers, and 3-D projection everywhere but none of it seems really useful," says TBWA Executive Creative Director Kazoo Sato. “We wanted to innovate something that is meaningful, impactful, and beautiful."
Photos by TBWA Hakuhodo03nike
Each sculpture started as a block of ice nearly six inches wide and was painstakingly carved over a period of hours using a CNC router inside a 19 °F freezer/studio.
Photos by TBWA Hakuhodo04ice-06
A thick bit roughed out the form, a thin tip went for a second pass to bring out the details, and the cube was flipped so the process could be repeated.
Photos by TBWA Hakuhodo05ice-02
The subjects of the sculptures were suggested by fans of Suntory Whisky who sent the company descriptions of pivotal moments in their lives where liquor played a prominent role.
Photos by TBWA Hakuhodo06ice-05
Fans who had their ideas turned into ice cubes were invited to a special gathering where they could see their ideas in icy form. Despite the extraordinary efforts, each artwork lasted for mere minutes when placed in the glass.
Photos by TBWA Hakuhodo07ice-08
Each cube took between one and six hours of milling and some of the more complex designs, like the legs of the horse, required several blocks of ice to be milled and combined.
Photos by TBWA Hakuhodo08ice-01
"I think carving the ice with CNC router is something people never seen and it's just a jaw dropping experience for many people," says Sato.
Photos by TBWA Hakuhodo09ring
"We tried to pick simple to complexed shaped ideas, ones that had dreams and hope, ones with stories that emotionally moved us," says Sato.
Photos by TBWA Hakuhodo10kinkakuji
An imbiber shared a poetic vision of Kinkaku-ji, the golden Buddhist temple, and how a miniature version would transform brown liquor into a golden beverage as it melted.
Photos by TBWA Hakuhodo11astronaut
Sadness over unrealized childhood dreams of space travel were softened by three fingers and an icy astronaut.
