Absolut Haring Artist-Edition Bottle Is “A Tribute to Optimism”

In 1985, Andy Warhol reached out to Absolut with a partnership idea: to create an artistic interpretation of the Absolut bottle silhouette. The resultant silk-screen painting, ‘Absolut Warhol’, is considered iconic. It marked the beginning of the Absolut Art campaign, which has seen 550 artists create over 800 pieces of art for the brand since.

“Absolut has never been just a vodka, it has always been about a point of view,” says Deb Dasgupta, VP global marketing. “Whether it was about championing inclusivity and diversity before it was expected, or collaborating with artists before it became fashionable, Absolut has always been ahead of its time. From the start, the brand was always about disrupting the category and writing its own playbook, not just following the rules,” she adds.

Warhol passed the proverbial torch to Keith Haring in 1986. He created four striking works using his signature red lines, depicting a joyous crowd of figures dancing against a bold yellow backdrop showcasing a bright contrasting blue of the Absolut logo.

Nearly four decades after his first collaboration with the brand, Absolut is celebrating his legacy and philosophy that art is for everybody with the Absolut Haring Artist-Edition bottle. The design reawakens Keith Haring’s original Absolut artwork, updating it for a new era but never straying from its true spirit. The bottle, campaign, and film launch from 1st July in global travel retail before rolling out in 50+ markets from September onwards.

“We've never done a limited edition bottle with Keith Haring. So this was a huge opportunity for us to bring that to life,” explains Deb of the brand coming full circle from that first collaboration in 1986. “Honestly, Keith Haring's work feels more relevant today than ever before, rooted in his belief that art should be for everyone,” she adds.

David Stark, founder and CEO of Artestar, the global licensing and creative agency representing the Keith Haring Studio, shares: “Our mission is to keep Keith Haring’s spirit alive by continuing to expand access to his art and the important messages within it. This project with Absolut revives a moment that meant so much to Keith. It’s a wonderful tribute that allows anyone to engage with this special story that started back in 1986.”

Deb notes that Absolut has always positioned itself at the “intersection of creativity, culture and craft. The Absolut bottle has been this canvas for decades, a way to tell stories that spark connection. This is more than a limited edition bottle. For us, it's about a celebration of two legacies colliding. It's a tribute to optimism, to movement, to joy.”

The bottle’s design celebrates motion and is signed off with Haring’s signature on the shrink sleeve. Debossed dancing figures adorn the glass and there’s a hand-drawn take on the Absolut medallion around the bottle’s neck, featuring founder L.O. Smith, adding a personal touch from the artist himself. It’s a translation of Haring’s original artwork into something that can be held, collected, gifted, shared.

Absolut has also crafted a suggested serve, the Absolut Haring Fizz. The signature cocktail gestures to the artist’s globe-spanning adventures across Asia and his unwavering love for New York. It’s East meeting West in a glass: crisp apple, zesty orange, toasted sesame, and a kick of ginger, shaken together, with the golden yellow hue mirroring the original artwork.

While there’s an undeniable commercial strategy underpinning the artist editions, Deb says it’s about culture too. “Absolut has such a rich legacy in culture, and every year, there is a new generation of drinkers coming into the category. And how does the brand stay contemporary, relevant and engaging for its new audience who has not grown up with the brand? We’re putting the brand back at the heartbeat of culture,” she says.

“In a world where there’s so much collaboration fatigue, how does a brand which has been a pioneer in collaborations truly bring something which has meaning, which has substance, to a space filled with clutter?” asks Deb. For her, “Absolut really stands apart, because it's not about slapping a logo on a bottle. It is actually authentic.”

“The world is more hungry for meaning,” Deb adds, “this launch brings that sense of joy, positivity, hope, optimism and lightness at a time when it’s needed.”

The campaign is launching with a pop-up vending machine at Gatwick Airport and will surprise travellers with exclusive Absolut Haring merch alongside bottle purchases. Plus, eye-popping 3D billboards will light up major transit hubs like Sydney and Heathrow. Absolut also teamed up with Uber at Heathrow for an ‘add-to-wallet’ campaign, giving travellers an exclusive gift voucher while en route to the airport that can be used towards their bottle purchase when they arrive.