Andy Warhol Foundation teams up with Absolut

Pernod Ricard has revealed a collaboration between its Absolut vodka brand and The Andy Warhol Foundation in a wave of activity that centres around the artist’s ‘blue’ painting.

In a bid to use “the transformative power of art” to “foster a culture of boundless creative expression,” the collaboration will include the roll-out of a new limited-edition Absolut bottle, a Warhol-inspired cocktail being created and the release of a short film.

Speaking to the drinks business about the collaboration, Absolut Vodka vice president global marketing Deb Dasgupta said: “Andy Warhol was the first collaborator on Absolut, and that’s how it kicked it off. What’s special is the fact that it was Andy who had reached out to the brand for the collaboration because Andy was truly inspired by the Absolut Vodka bottle. That’s how the journey of our collaborations started. It also allowed the brand to have a completely different voice, which was very different from any other brand.”

Dasgupta explained: “The brand’s philosophy is about mixing people, perspectives, ideas, identities and dreams. We believe that when we mix, we look past the differences and when we come together, the world can be far more interesting, dynamic and engaging.”

Dasgupta told db: “Investment goes beyond anything commercial. This is an investment into fashion. The reason we do collaborations is to be relevant in culture, and to have that impact. In terms of the overall long term effects, there is also the brand equity that we will build. This collaboration is a labour of love. We collaborated with Andy Warhol first in 1985 and, since then, the brand has collaborated with so many artists from all walks of life, whether it is visual art, or whether it is music – we have collaborated with multiple artists and it is been part of its what has helped the brand stay relevant in pop culture. The brand has always been a champion for inclusivity and diversity through creative expression. We will continue to collaborate with other established artists up-and-coming authors to ensure that we’re giving them a voice or a canvas to express themselves for positive change.”

The Andy Warhol Foundation director of licensing, marketing, and sales Michael Dayton Hermann said that the collaboration “celebrates Warhol’s enduring artistic legacy and cultural influence through his belief in the power of art to provoke thought and inspire change” and invites “new generations to engage with his legacy in a fresh and dynamic way”.

Dayton explained that the “proceeds from this impactful collaboration will generously support the philanthropic work of The Andy Warhol Foundation in fulfilling its mission to advance the visual arts and projects that challenge the status quo”.

The limited-edition bottle, which the company has described as having a “visually artistic and layered aesthetic due to the multi-layered screen-printed design” will bring “Warhol’s rediscovered Absolut ‘blue’ painting from 1985 to life”. According to the company, each shade of blue used for the bottle has been extracted from the painting to deliver a likeness to the original. The final details include an image of Warhol himself alongside his original signature.

In addition, a specially-curated cocktail — a blend of Absolut Vodka and cocoa butter, banana liquor, lemon juice and cornflake-infused milk — will also mark the collaboration and has been “inspired by Warhol’s infamous sweet tooth and his passion for cornflakes”.

Consumers who wish to try the cocktail and make it themselves can access a masterclass showing how to make the new signature cocktail via an easily scannable QR code on the side of the bottle.

As the final part of the collaboration, Mexican director and photographer Santiago Sierra Soler has directed a short film depicting how the rediscovered ‘blue’ painting transcends the cultural legacy of Absolut and Warhol.

The short film, which was inspired by Warhol’s blue brush strokes and played to the sound of a remixed 20th Century Boy by T Rex, mixes the past with the present and makes references to Absolut’s and Warhol’s shared history.

The Absolut Warhol limited-edition bottles will retail for US$24 (€22) each and will be available for sale exclusively for two months in global travel retail before being rolled out in over 50 global markets from September 2024 in both 1-litre and 700ml bottle sizes.