"Our bottle has always been a canvas”: how Absolut distilled Keith Haring's art

Absolut Vodka has unveiled the latest in its iconic artist collaboration series with a striking homage to Pop Art legend, Keith Haring. With a custom bottle and immersive gallery experience taking over Charing Cross tube station (aptly renamed 'Haring Cross'), the brand champions Haring's mission to make art accessible for all.

After a triumphant Warhol collaboration back in 2024, Absolut was left questioning how it could top its previous project. Drawing on its collaboration with Haring back in 1986, the latest artist collab is both a celebration of brand heritage and a homage to the power of combining art and activism

To learn more about the project, I sat down with Absolut's Global Marketing VP, Deb Dasgupta, to get some behind-the-scenes insight into the collaboration. "Our bottle has always been a canvas to tell stories," she tells me. On what sparked the Haring collaboration, she explains, "Warhol made that job easier for us when he passed on the brush to Keith Haring to do the next Absolut painting in 1986. We knew there was a gift waiting for us, but how do we embrace that and bring it to life?"

And so the Playful Underground campaign was born. Taking over Charing Cross tube station (aptly renaming it to 'Haring Cross'), Absolut and partners transformed the space into an immersive art gallery featuring Haring's original Absolut Vodka paintings.

Continuing Haring's belief that “art is for everybody”, passersby could collect their own poster of his iconic Absolut artwork, a testament to both Haring and Absolut's passion for accessible art. "There are synergies in our ethos to democratise art," Deb says. "Keith Haring took it from the galleries into subways, sidewalks and playgrounds, while we place art into people's hands through our bottle."

It's no secret that Haring has become a household name over the decades, leading to a plethora of brand collaborations, so I was curious to understand how Absolut avoided commercialising his iconic art. "That's where authenticity kicks in, especially in today's age of collaboration fatigue," Deb explains. "Keith Haring's work had this subliminal message of joy, optimism, hope, and positivity," she continues. "Pop Art isn't elitist, it's something that connects with people. We've developed a Pop Art heritage that we've had by virtue of working with some of the biggest Pop Art icons of those times."

Deb shares that the response to the Playful Underground Haring Cross experience was "amazing" to witness. "People travelled from Scotland to Charing Cross. Someone even dressed their two-month-old in a Keith Haring jumper to take a photo with his art."

"I'm incredibly proud and happy. It proves sometimes the best ideas are so simple, and they're right in front of you – all it takes is imagination to bring them to life. Pangolin, our internal studio The Makes, my team, TFL – it's the result of incredible teamwork."

For more creative inspiration, check out how Absolut Vodka embraces heritage branding, or take a look at why Absolut's 'bottle' print ad is the greatest of all time