Lucky
Strike
Cigarette producer Lucky Strike commissioned the following prints by Keith Haring in 1987. Nine of the ink drawings are undeniably playful, but Haring also created a controversial, tenth design: a skeleton smoking. Though it was rejected from the campaign, he evidently couldn’t resist staying true to his nature as an activist.
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Meaning & Analysis
Lucky Strike is a series of nine ink drawings created by Keith Haring as part of commission received from the top-selling cigarette company. Asked to create designs that could be used for advertising purposes, Haring provided the brand with a portfolio of playful works featuring his signature use of bold lines and simplified human figures alongside the logo of Lucky Strike. Upon completion, three of the drawings were released as posters and five others were screen printed on art stock paper by Serigraphie Uldry Bern of Switzerland. An additional, tenth drawing created by Haring towards the end of the project depicted a skeleton smoking a cigarette and was deemed by the company as too controversial.
All screen prints included in the series were signed in plate by the artist. Similarly to works included in Absolut, Haring’s first series created for brand advertising purposes, the recognizable cartoon-like imagery is accompanied here by a vibrant colour palette. Employing garish colours and graffiti-like, thick contours, the series evokes the creative energies of the 1980s street culture that inspired Haring across his career. As such, it also reminds one that although his artistic identity originates in street art, Haring left a lasting imprint on the world of commercial art.
