A unitary disposable absorbent article, characterized by comprising: an absorbent core having a garment-facing surface and a body-facing surface; a liquid permeable topsheet positioned adjacent said body-facing surface of said absorbent core; a liquid impermeable backsheet positioned adjacent said garment-facing surface of said absorbent core; said backsheet having a physical variation along at least one axis, wherein said physical variation defines a first backsheet zone and a second backsheet zone, wherein said physical variation is a measurable difference, wherein said physical variation is as measured by a physical property selected from the group consisting of basis weight, thickness and density; and at least one elastomeric element having at least one primary direction of stretch, said elastomeric element at least partially overlapping and joined to said second backsheet zone, wherein said overlap creates a stretch zone, wherein a relaxed pathlength of said elastomeric element in the primary direction of stretch is less than a total pathlength of said backsheet in the region of overlap, wherein the absorbent article further comprises stretch ears or side panels and wherein the force to elongate the stretch zone a given proportion is less than the force required to elongate one of the stretch ears or side panels proportionately, wherein: the second backsheet zone overlaps the back portion of the absorbent core and the elastomeric element is oriented in substantially the lateral direction and a backsheet stretching process extends the backsheet in substantially the same direction resulting in a primary stretch vector of the stretch zone oriented around the back waist of the wearer. an absorbent core having a garment-facing surface and a body-facing surface; a liquid permeable topsheet positioned adjacent said body-facing surface of said absorbent core; a liquid impermeable backsheet positioned adjacent said garment-facing surface of said absorbent core; said backsheet having a physical variation along at least one axis, wherein said physical variation defines a first backsheet zone and a second backsheet zone, wherein said physical variation is a measurable difference, wherein said physical variation is as measured by a physical property selected from the group consisting of basis weight, thickness and density; and at least one elastomeric element having at least one primary direction of stretch, said elastomeric element at least partially overlapping and joined to said second backsheet zone, wherein said overlap creates a stretch zone, wherein a relaxed pathlength of said elastomeric element in the primary direction of stretch is less than a total pathlength of said backsheet in the region of overlap, wherein the absorbent article further comprises stretch ears or side panels and wherein the force to elongate the stretch zone a given proportion is less than the force required to elongate one of the stretch ears or side panels proportionately, wherein: the second backsheet zone overlaps the back portion of the absorbent core and the elastomeric element is oriented in substantially the lateral direction and a backsheet stretching process extends the backsheet in substantially the same direction resulting in a primary stretch vector of the stretch zone oriented around the back waist of the wearer. the second backsheet zone overlaps the back portion of the absorbent core and the elastomeric element is oriented in substantially the lateral direction and a backsheet stretching process extends the backsheet in substantially the same direction resulting in a primary stretch vector of the stretch zone oriented around the back waist of the wearer.