Absolut’s Deb Dasgupta on Reviving Keith Haring’s Legacy for Today’s Cultural Conversation

How Absolut revisits its 1986 collaboration with the late Keith Haring, bringing his bold, iconic style to a new generation while continuing the brand’s mission to champion creativity and connection.

Deb Dasgupta, Absolut’s Vice President of Global Marketing, has helped guide one of the world’s most recognisable spirits through the shifting currents of art, culture and commerce. With a passion for storytelling and a belief in creative partnerships, she has been at the heart of Absolut’s evolving connection to the art world.

Absolut literally changed the rule book. It created art, not ads, through its collaborations — with Warhol being the first

Deb Dasgupta

Off the back of last year’s Absolut Warhol success, inspired by Warhol’s lost Absolut painting, Dasgupta is now leading the brand’s latest artistic chapter: the Absolut Haring Artist-Edition. Rooted in the shared belief that art is for everyone, the new release revisits Keith Haring’s 1986 collaboration with Absolut — a partnership that began at the recommendation of Andy Warhol. Inspired by Haring’s mission to take art beyond gallery walls and into everyday life, the bottle bursts with his signature lines, dancing figures etched into the bottle, and vibrant colours — a nod to the energy of 1980s New York, now reimagined for a new generation.

In this conversation, Dasgupta reflects on Haring’s lasting relevance, Absolut’s history with the art world, and how the brand continues to see creativity as a force for connection — nearly forty years after Haring first placed the Absolut bottle at the centre of his work.

Absolut has a storied legacy with art dating back to Andy Warhol. How has that history shaped
the brand’s identity, and how does it continue to influence your creative direction today?

Deb Dasgupta: It’s a great question, and I’m delighted to answer. I think way back in the 80s, when advertising looked like a model holding a glass in their hand and making a statement, Absolut literally changed the rule book. It created art, not ads, through its collaborations — with Warhol being the first, which started in 1985. Since then, there has been a history of collaborations with many artists over the decades. That’s how Absolut really became a part of culture. And the journey continues, as we continue to work with artists even from our 2025 perspective.

I think it was a really hard decision for us, because I can tell you for sure that it’s very difficult to top Andy Warhol when you’ve created the Absolut Warhol drop. But I think Andy made the job easier, because in 1986 he actually passed the baton to Keith Haring. That made it easier for us to choose the right succession for Absolut Warhol. So that’s how the collaboration continues.

Since then, we have been collaborating not only with visual artists, but also with fashion designers, musicians, and entertainment — and it continues. Today, the legacy continues.

We are partnering, whether from a modern, contemporary context, with Sabrina Carpenter — partnering with her on her blockbuster hit Espresso to spotlight our espresso martinis — or with Tomorrowland to be part of today’s zeitgeist. We’re also partnering with Heinz to create the world’s first Absolut Heinz pasta sauce, which originated from a trend started by Gigi Hadid.

So we are in culture, and we continue to shape culture, influence culture, and move culture forward.

This year’s Artist Edition Bottle features the late Keith Haring—an icon who used colour and movement to unite people. What inspired the design, and why collaborate with his legacy?

Deb Dasgupta: One of the reasons we collaborated with Keith Haring is not just because he was suggested by Andy Warhol. There was a connection that Haring had with the brand, and the philosophies of the brand and of Keith were so aligned.

At that point in time, Keith Haring was talking about art for everybody. He was literally democratising art, moving it out of galleries. What he really stood for was that all you need is a wall and a purpose to democratise art. That’s where it aligns with the brand’s philosophy, because the brand has never been about vodka. It’s always been about a point of view.

The bottle has always been a canvas for creativity, imagination and self-expression, and also for bringing art into people’s homes and bars. That’s where the synergies of the two come together, and the two legacies, or the two legends, collide to bring art to people’s homes.

The shared philosophy is that art should not only be available to the happy few, but should reach the happy many — and that’s where we connect. There are also many shared values that both icons represent. Haring stood for optimism, hope, joy, and he sparked connection.

That’s what Absolut stands for as well. We are the catalyst for connection. We mix strands in popular culture, and that’s about catalysing human connection. We are a brand that stands for born to mix — mixing people, perspectives, ideas, identities and drinks.

That’s who we are, and that’s where the ethos collides, and why the partnership makes sense. I’m genuinely very honoured to say that during his life, Keith Haring only worked on authentic collaborations, and we’ve been one of those.

Today, in a world saturated with collaborations and licensing deals, there are very few genuine, authentic ones where there is real meaning in the collaboration. I think this is one of them — there was a soul, there was meaning, and something that goes beyond just two people coming together.

With the bottle set to launch in more than 50 markets—including key global travel hubs such as
Heathrow and Sydney—what does success look like for this rollout?

Deb Dasgupta: I think success is about sparking an inspiration, igniting a new generation, and connecting with the brand. Ultimately igniting the belief in the power of creativity to spark change in a world where probably there’s so much chaos. I think hope, optimism, positivity is needed more than ever.

That’s exactly what we want, we want to connect with people. We want to spark hope, positivity, optimism, joy. I think this bottle exactly is a celebration of that. It’s that celebration of the spirit of Keith Haring, which is all about connection, optimism, hope, joy.

That’s exactly what this brand wants to bring, is people together, you know, kind of moments of connection, moments of joy, moments of levity. And I think that’s exactly what success would look like.

I think for us, the limited edition bottle is — we don’t measure success commercially. We measure success culturally as to how it has been able to shape culture and push culture forward, how it has been able to inspire, drive conversations, and that’s what success looks like for us. So it is for us a story of Absolut and a story of having come together and really driving that positive impact through the power of creativity and art.

Absolut’s ability to honour its legacy while engaging the next generation is no small feat. How do
you keep the brand relevant across generations?

Deb Dasgupta: I think when we did Absolut Warhol, one of the reasons we brought Warhol back was not because it was a one-to-one legacy, but to remind the new generation about a moment in culture that really defined us and connected the past to the present.

We did it in a very innovative way, because we had just discovered the lost painting. It was a really nice way to bring back a story of a collaboration from the past. From a campaign point of view, we connected the past to the future by imagining that if Warhol were alive today, he would be collaborating with today’s artists, with AI — and those are the elements we brought to life.

From this collaboration point of view, which is with Haring, Haring is more relevant than ever. His art carries so much meaning, depth and cultural soul.

It truly connects with people. It fills them with a sense of joy, hope and optimism, and that’s where we connect with the audience. The other part you’ll see later this evening is that Haring’s journey starts in the underground. He turned the underground into a gallery. The underground is a huge part of youth culture, and it’s not a place — it’s a mindset where magic happens, and it’s an integral part of the youth journey.

Our campaign is called Playful on the Underground, capturing that energy — the pulsating, electric energy of youth. It’s our dedication and love letter to today’s youth, capturing their vibrancy, boldness and self-expression. You’ll see the playfulness and irreverence, connecting street with style, rebellion with rhythm, through music and art. This is how we connect the past to the present while keeping it modern, relevant and contemporary — evoking that spirit of joy, celebration and positivity, which both brands are about.

Finally, looking ahead, how do you see the role of artists and creative collaborators evolving in
the future of brand storytelling?

Deb Dasgupta: Like I said, for us, limited edition is not just a bottle. It’s a story.

It’s a story that matters in the time that we are in. It’s a story that’s wrapped in context, a story delivered with emotion. It’s a story that has the ability to connect. It’s a story that sparks something or a change in the consumer, shifts perspective, or opens minds to possibilities.

That’s exactly what we want to do. Absolut is always on the lookout for artists who are bringing cultural soul into their work today, to be able to collaborate and do something meaningful. It’s not just about putting two names together. There has to be a deeper story in it. And that’s where collaborations really make sense.

In a world where, as I said, there is so much collaboration fatigue, we’re always looking for genuine partnerships. Absolut Warhol and Absolut Haring have been very authentic partnerships, and I think the brand, in the future as well, will create new legacies with new artists who have a story to tell, whose work has meaning, depth and cultural soul.

Absolut loves artists — who are your favourite modern or contemporary artists?

Deb Dasgupta: I love pop art. And I think, of course, the legends of Warhol and Haring are on everyone’s list. Like I said last time, Absolut sparked and inspired me to join this industry and pursue a career in marketing and advertising through their iconic advertising.

Back in the day, I had a poster of Absolut Warhol in my dorm room — that’s how my connection with art started. From today’s artist point of view, I definitely like a lot of work coming from different areas, whether it’s big artists like Yayoi Kusama, Murakami, Alex Dakota, Anish Kapoor, or Jeff Koons. I think the list can go on because you can’t box art.

Every artist has a story to tell in their own style. And whether it connects with your brand values, you may see the possibility of collaboration — not because I mention these names, but because they inspire me personally and there is a connection with the brand. If there is a connection with artists, I think Absolut will always be willing to collaborate and explore where one plus one equals three.

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/

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