Absolut Vodka Embarks on New Creative Era with Kaws Artist Edition Bottle and Painting
The renowned artist, who shows his distinctive work in unexpected places to reach everyone, brings a fresh perspective to Absolut.
Absolut Vodka has unveiled an Artist Edition collaboration with world-leading contemporary artist KAWS, reimagining its iconic apothecary-shaped bottle through KAWS’ unmistakable visual language.
Building on a rich history of groundbreaking collaborations, Absolut Vodka’s partnership with one of today’s most influential artists marks a new era in its creative journey. It reflects Absolut’s continued ambition to open minds and spark fresh perspectives through partnerships spanning art, fashion, music and culture.
Inspired by a specially commissioned painting by KAWS, the ABSOLUT KAWS Artist Edition bottle challenges the familiar, championing curiosity through imagination. Featuring the artist’s famed “XX” motif and CHUM character on the front, and an image of the original painting on the back, the bottle transforms an everyday object into something unexpected – inviting people to view it from their own perspective.
The Brooklyn-based artist – whose real name is Brian Donnelly – is a natural collaborator for Absolut Vodka, which has always believed that art should be open, joyful and for everyone. His work seamlessly bridges the gap between fine art and popular culture, resonating with audiences far beyond the traditional art scene. Growing up in New Jersey, Donnelly spent his teenage years tagging trains and billboards downtown with his now-famous KAWS tag. Through his instantly recognisable characters, KAWS breaks barriers and makes his thought-provoking work accessible to all.
The ABSOLUT KAWS Artist Edition bottle (40% ABV) will be available for a limited time from 1 October 2026 across more than 30 markets, including the UK, Germany, Spain, Mexico, China, Italy, New Zealand, Poland and Korea. Please visit https://www.absolut.com/en/products/absolut-kaws for more information on price and availability.
Craig Van Niekerk, Absolut’s VP of Marketing, says: “The best creative collaborations don’t just put two names on a label; they create an immediate visual disruption that stops you in your tracks. That’s exactly what we’ve created with KAWS. By bringing his signature ‘XX’ motif and CHUM character to our bottle, KAWS has taken a canvas with a rich artistic heritage and given it a witty, unexpected twist. We believe art shouldn’t be confined to galleries and this visual disruption brings a piece of joyful, accessible pop culture right into people’s hands.”
KAWS says: “I am excited to join the lineage of great artists that have worked with Absolut Vodka over the decades. Many artists I admire have been commissioned by the brand to create artwork for their iconic ads , and I’m grateful for the opportunity to add my work over the Absolut bottle itself, too. My goal is to allow art to meet people in unexpected places and I hope my bottles will be enjoyed at gatherings around the world.”
Absolut, since its early collaborations with artists such as Andy Warhol more than forty years ago, has always challenged the familiar, opening minds to new perspectives. In addition to its artist collaborations (more than 550 artists have contributed over 850 artworks inspired by the distinctive Absolut Vodka bottle since the 1980s), Absolut has also more recently partnered with household brands and popular cultural events, including Heinz, Tabasco and Tomorrowland.
W+K LONDON creative credits
Creative Directors: Freddy Taylor, Philippa Beaumont
Art Director: Lara Davis
Copywriter: Xavier Auty
Chief Creative Officers: Ana Balarin, Hermeti Balarin
Joint Heads of Production: Richard Adkins, Amy Leach
Executive Producer: Dom Felton
Creative Operations Manager: Rebecca Calway
Design Director: Adam Hunt
Designer: Zhangzhe Peng
Head of Studio: David Brodie
Artworker: Jody Burson
Group Strategy Director: Brian Ritter
Strategist: Lara Janani
Head of Communications Planning: Anjali Patel
Global Chief Strategy Officer: Dan Hill
Group Account Director: Hannah Gourevitch
Business Director: Laura Simmons
Account Director: Rachel Campbell
Account Manager: Eve Taylor
President: Ryan Fisher
Head of Business Affairs: Helena Tomas
Executive Business Affairs Manager: Alex Coomer
PRODUCTION
Production Company: Builders Club
THE ABSOLUT GROUP / PERNOD RICARD
Global Brand Communications Director – Pernod Ricard: Filip Kiisk
Marketing Manager Global Comms & Content Absolut, M&K: Victor Mangematin
Global Creative Content Director – Absolut, Malibu, Kahlúa: Ned Paterson
MUSIC
Music Company + Publisher: Chappell Music / Universal Production Music
Title: Getting Scandalous
Artist/Writer: Chris Penny & Skinny Williams
Pangolin credit list
Director: Chloe Amsden
Senior Account Director: Beth Patterson
Account Director: Fabiana Barber
Account Executive: Mélodie Danis
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 index.
About KAWS
KAWS (b. 1974) is one of the world’s most influential contemporary artists, renowned for blurring the boundaries between fine art, design and popular culture. Across painting, sculpture and large-scale public installations, his distinctive visual language – defined by bold graphic forms, playful characters and sharp cultural commentary – has made his work instantly recognisable around the globe. Over the past three decades, KAWS has built a career that combines artistic rigour with broad cultural appeal, collaborating with leading global brands while remaining a highly sought-after figure in the contemporary art world.
His work has been exhibited at many of the world’s foremost cultural institutions, including the Albertina Modern in Vienna, the Serpentine Gallery in London, the Brooklyn Museum, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Andy Warhol Museum, the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne and the Mori Arts Center Gallery in Tokyo, among others. Admired by collectors, critics and audiences alike, KAWS continues to shape contemporary visual culture through work that is both accessible and thought-provoking.
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.
