“Art Is for Everybody”: Absolut Honors Keith Haring in Celebration of Creativity For All

Absolut Vodka celebrates the legacy of Keith Haring, one of the world’s most influential pop artists, to the next generation in the Absolut Haring Artist-Edition – nearly four decades after he first painted the iconic bottle.

Absolut Haring

Rooted in the shared belief that art is for everybody, the Absolut Haring Artist-Edition is a vibrant celebration of the iconic artist Keith Haring. Inspired by Haring’s mission to take art off the museum walls and into real life, this artist-edition bottle brings that same spirit to a new generation—championing creativity as a unifying force, just like Haring did on the gritty streets and pulsing subways of 1980s New York.

This bottle reawakens Keith Haring’s original Absolut artwork from 1986—infusing it with fresh energy for a new era. It blends the unmistakable soul of Haring’s art—those bold lines, electric colors, and dancing figures that lit up everything from subway tunnels to gallery walls—with Absolut’s belief in creativity as a catalyst for positive change.

Nearly forty years ago, at the recommendation of his friend Andy Warhol, Keith Haring became the second artist to reimagine the Absolut bottle. He created four striking works, each placing the iconic silhouette center stage. The chosen Absolut Haring piece became a 1986 Absolut campaign classic. With Haring’s unmistakable red lines and a joyous crowd of dancing figures set against a bold yellow canvas, the artwork bursts with energy—brilliantly offset by the iconic blue of the Absolut logo.

This bottle isn’t just packaging—it’s a celebration in motion. Signed off with Haring’s iconic signature on the shrink sleeve, the design pulses with energy: a debossed rhythm of dancing figures brought to life in his signature blaze of reds and yellows, cut sharply against the iconic Absolut blue. Around the neck, a hand-drawn take on the Absolut medallion—featuring founder L.O. Smith—adds a personal touch from the artist himself. The result? A piece of 3D kinetic art that transforms the original painting into something you can hold, admire, and toast with.

To bring Haring’s spirit to the glass, Absolut has crafted the Absolut Haring Fizz—a signature cocktail that nods to the artist’s globe-trotting adventures across Asia and his deep love for New York. It’s a bold fusion of East-meets-West: crisp apple, zesty orange, toasted sesame, and a kick of ginger—all shaken into something vibrant and unexpected. The golden yellow hue mirrors the original artwork, with every sip poured from the pulse of the world.

Absolut has always believed that art should be open, joyful, and for everyone,” says Deb Dasgupta, VP Global Marketing, Absolut Vodka. “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. It’s a vibrant reminder that creativity can inspire, uplift, unite, and open minds.

“This is a joyful moment for Global Travel Retail,” says Liya Zhang, VP Global Marketing at Pernod Ricard GTR. “Following the incredible reception of Absolut Warhol limited-edition last year, we’re thrilled to now celebrate Keith Haring — a visionary whose work resonates deeply with today’s travellers. The energy, colour speaks to a new generation looking for creativity in every moment, and inspiration in every journey. As Haring said, art is for everybody.”

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.”

The Absolut Haring Artist-Edition hits global travel retail from July, before landing in 40+ markets from October—including Germany, the UK, Mexico, Canada, Australia, China, Italy and Poland—for a limited time only. To kick things off, a pop-up vending machine at Gatwick Airport will surprise travellers with exclusive Absolut Haring merch alongside bottle purchases. Keep an eye out for eye-popping 3D billboards lighting up major transit hubs like Sydney and Heathrow.

And for those who like to plan ahead, Absolut is teaming up with Uber at Heathrow for an Add-to-Wallet campaign, letting travellers secure an exclusive gift voucher for their bottle purchase while en route to the airport.

The Artist-Edition will be available in 1L, 700mL, and 750mL sizes—because good taste should always come in more than one format.

For more information on the artist-edition, Absolut Haring, please visit https://www.absolut.com/en/products/absolut-haring/

To find the Absolut Haring Fizz cocktail recipe, please visit: https://www.absolutdrinks.com/en/drinks/absolut-haring-fizz/

#AbsolutHaring #BornToMix #ArtForEverybody

About The Absolut Group

The Absolut Group is a powerhouse of lifestyle spirits brands within Pernod Ricard. The portfolio includes an extensive range of premium spirits; the iconic Absolut Vodka, the world’s most awarded gin, Beefeater, the leading flavoured rum, Malibu and the number one coffee liqueur, Kahlúa. The range also includes a selection of agave spirits, including Altos tequila and craft gins such as Monkey 47 and KI NO BI. Across geographies, the entities forming The Absolut Group share a long-term commitment to sustainability and responsible drinking that extends to consumers, society, the environment and our teams. https://theabsolutgroup.com/

About Pernod Ricard

Pernod Ricard is a worldwide leader in the spirits and wine 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 € 11,598 million in fiscal year FY24. Pernod Ricard is listed on Euronext (Ticker: RI; ISIN Code: FR0000120693) and is part of the CAC 40 and Eurostoxx 50 indices. https://www.pernod-ricard.com/en

About The Absolut Art Collection

Andy Warhol painted Absolut Warhol in 1985, which became the first Absolut Art advert and marked the beginning of Absolut’s involvement in the arts. Warhol subsequently recommended Keith Haring to interpret the Absolut bottle – between 1985 and 2004, more than 550 artists created more than 850 works of art. The Absolut Art Collection’s dedicated home is at Spritmuseum, Stockholm and includes paintings, graphic art, photography, furniture, fashion and handicrafts – all of which have been used in campaigns for Absolut Vodka. What unites the works of art in this collection is that every image or object portrays the iconic Absolut Vodka bottle. The pieces were created as part of a strategy to build and communicate a brand during an era associated with New York’s Studio 54 and glitter balls, the first victims of the AIDs epidemic, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the birth of IT. All the collection’s works of art create a nuanced portrait of three decades’ worth of cultural trends and developments.

About Keith Haring

Keith Haring (1958-1990) was preeminent among the young artists, performers, and musicians whose work responded to 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 organizations, 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 of 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 recognized visual language. https://www.haring.com/

About Artestar

This project was done in collaboration with Artestar, a global licensing agency and creative consultancy representing the Keith Haring Studio and other world-renowned visual artists, estates, and foundations. Artestar conceptualizes and develops some of the world’s most iconic brand partnerships across an array of categories and geographic regions, all while preserving and elevating each artist’s unique legacy. Through strategic planning and thoughtful curation, Artestar powers creative collaborations to make art accessible to everyone. Learn more at https://www.artestar.com/

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