Absolut Vodka takes over Charing Cross Tube station in bold tribute to Keith Haring’s iconic Absolut artwork
For two days only, Londoners will find themselves travelling through history and art. The ticket hall and escalators at Charing Cross, one of the capital’s busiest Tube stations, will be reimagined as “Haring Cross” – a striking pop-up tribute to Keith Haring, one of the world’s most celebrated artists, and his legendary collaboration with Absolut Vodka in the 1980s.
- two original Absolut Vodka artworks by Keith Haring are on display to the public
- free posters depicting the artworks available at the two-day event
- the experience celebrates the recent launch of the Absolut Haring Artist-Edition bottle
- celebrating a shared belief that art is for everybody
For two days only, Londoners will find themselves travelling through history and art. The ticket hall and escalators at Charing Cross, one of the capital’s busiest Tube stations, will be reimagined as “Haring Cross” – a striking pop-up tribute to Keith Haring, one of the world’s most celebrated artists, and his legendary collaboration with Absolut Vodka in the 1980s.
The activation, on 17 & 18 September, marks the next chapter of the global Absolut Haring launch, turning the daily commute into a captivating and unexpected cultural experience. Stepping off the escalator, commuters, visitors and tourists will be greeted in the ticket hall by two original Absolut Vodka paintings by Haring from 1986, displayed in public for the very first time in the UK. These works once transformed Absolut’s apothecary-shaped bottle into an icon of the art world – and now return to the underground, where Haring’s energy first ignited.
Rooted in Haring’s belief that “art is for everybody”, visitors will also be able to take away a free poster depicting one of Haring’s paintings on display (while stocks last). This iconic piece of artwork, featuring its unmistakable red lines and dancing figures set against a bold yellow canvas, became an Absolut campaign classic in 1986. A must-see if you happen to be in London in mid-September, this one-off project transforms the hustle and bustle of underground ticket halls and escalators into ‘Haring Cross’ – an immersive space adorned with graphic elements inspired by Keith Haring, for everyone to enjoy.
Haring wanted to make art accessible to everyone. His paintings, subway chalk drawings and public murals – whether dancing figures or barking dogs – vibrated with energy while carrying a deeper meaning beneath their playful surface. Just as Haring used art to capture imaginations and explore universal truths, Absolut has always believed that art for all can inspire, uplift, unite and open minds. The Absolut Haring artworks on display serve as a visual reminder of Haring’s belief in creativity as a unifying force, celebrating the power of art to drive positive change.
The ‘Haring Cross’ event follows the launch of the Absolut Haring Artist-Edition bottle across global travel retail in July and, which will be available across 40 markets from September onwards. The Artist-Edition bottle’s design pulses with energy: a debossed rhythm of dancing figures brought to life in his signature blaze of reds and yellows, cut sharply against Absolut’s distinctive blue. Signed off with Haring’s unmistakable signature on the shrink sleeve, the result is a piece of 3D kinetic art that transforms the original painting into something you can hold, admire and toast with.
Deb Dasgupta, VP Global Marketing, Absolut Vodka, says: “Absolut has always believed that art should be open, joyful and for everyone. Keith Haring’s work radiated that belief – full of energy, colour and hope. With Absolut Haring, we’re inviting a new generation to celebrate that spirit in a public space – in an underground station that reflects and connects to the subways that inspired Haring more than forty years ago. It’s a vibrant reminder that creativity can inspire, uplift, unite and open minds.”
David Stark, founder and CEO of Artestar, the agency representing the Keith Haring Studio, says: “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.”
Absolut’s collaborations with many influential pop art artists can be traced to 1985, when Andy Warhol first painted Absolut’s bottle and Keith Haring became the second a year later. Over more than two decades, Absolut worked with more than 550 artists who created more than 850 works of art. Today, they form part of the renowned Absolut Art Collection housed at Spritmuseum in Stockholm.
Christer Mellstrand, Museum Director at Spritmuseum, says: “Since 2008, Spritmuseum has been the proud owner of the Absolut Art Collection – a treasure trove of art, or perhaps advertising? Visitors are thrilled to discover that behind many of Absolut’s classic advertising campaigns lie real artworks by renowned artists: paintings, sculptures, drawings and more. Only the paintings by Andy Warhol are, perhaps, more famous in the Collection than Haring’s. To this day, Haring’s energetic and celebratory imagery remains an unmistakable part of contemporary culture.”
Emma Strain, Customer Director at Transport for London (TfL), says: “The London Underground has a long-standing connection to the art world, so we’re delighted to work with Absolut to be able to host Keith Haring’s art at Charing Cross Tube station. Activations like this provide our customers with a new way to experience art in London.”
Visit the ‘Haring Cross’ experience at Charing Cross Tube station for two days only from 17-18 September. The Absolut Haring Artist-Edition bottle will be available across 40 markets, including the UK, for a limited time only. Please visit www.absolut.com/en-gb/products/absolut-haring/ for more info.
This activation with Transport for London (TfL) consists of Keith Haring vinyls throughout the ticket hall, license to use TfL’s IP to create bespoke roundels to be used within their creative advertising (only) and use of a retail unit to display original Keith Harings. Advertising within the station was booked through Global. It is not a renaming of the station and no customer signage has been changed as part of this activation.
About Pernod Ricard
Pernod Ricard is a worldwide leader in the spirits and champagne industry, blending traditional craftsmanship, state-of-the-art brand development, and global distribution technologies. Our prestigious portfolio of premium to luxury brands includes Absolut vodka, Ricard pastis, Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Royal Salute, and The Glenlivet Scotch whiskies, Jameson Irish whiskey, Martell cognac, Havana Club rum, Beefeater gin, Malibu liqueur and Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagnes. Our mission is to ensure the long-term growth of our brands with full respect for people and the environment, while empowering our employees around the world to be ambassadors of our purposeful, inclusive and responsible culture of authentic conviviality. Pernod Ricard’s consolidated sales amounted to € 10,959 million in fiscal year FY25. Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN Code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 and Eurostoxx 50 indices.
About Keith Haring
Keith Haring (1958-1990) was preeminent among the young artists, performers, and musicians whose work responded to the urban street culture of the 1980s. When he arrived in New York City at the age of 19 to enrol in the School of Visual Arts, Haring found an alternative world thriving outside the gallery and museum system, in the downtown streets, the subways, and clubs.
Inspired by graffiti artists whose marks covered the city’s subway cars, Haring began to draw in white chalk over the black paper used to cover vacant advertising panels. Not only was Haring able to reach a large and diverse audience with his subway drawings, but eventually the subway became, as Haring said, a “laboratory” for working out his ideas. There, he developed the series of images that would become his signature: the radiant baby, the barking dog, and the running figure. As early as 1982, Haring began exhibiting in galleries and museums around the world, but continued to participate in public projects, including literacy campaigns and anti-AIDS initiatives. Building on earlier impulses to draw on everything from refrigerator doors to vinyl tarpaulins, Haring continued to use a variety of media in order to communicate to a massive audience, essential themes such as birth, death, love and war.
Diagnosed with AIDS in 1988, Haring established the Keith Haring Foundation in 1989 to provide funding and imagery to AIDS organisations, and to ensure that his philanthropic legacy would continue indefinitely. The Keith Haring Foundation’s mission is to sustain, expand and protect the legacy of Haring’s art and his ideals. Keith Haring passed away in New York in February 1990 from AIDS. Since his death, he has been the subject of several international retrospectives, and his work is in major private and public collections. Although Haring’s career was brief, his work has become a universally recognised visual language.
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