For a spirit to be super premium, it needs to be a work of art from start to finish, and that is exactly what Belvedere Vodka is delivering through the company’s new global partnership with award-winning visual artist, musician, and activist Laolu Senbanjo. Belvedere, the original pioneer in the super premium vodka category, is now available in a special limited-edition bottle designed by Senbanjo that depicts the artist’s own interpretation of the complexity, nuance and character of the Belvedere liquid, according to the company.
Who is Senbanjo?
Born in Nigeria and now based in Brooklyn, New York, Senbanjo is both a performance and visual artist whose medium of choice is skin. He is perhaps most widely known for his body-painting work on Beyoncé’s award-winning album Lemonade, but his work has also been seen on the cover of The Washington Post, within the pages of The New York Times, The Guardian and Vogue, as well as on BBC, CNN, and NBC. In the past, he has collaborated with fellow creators Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz, Seun Kuti, Tony Allen, Alek Wek and Danielle Brooks.
"Everything is My Canvas"
Through Senbanjo’s approach to art, “Everything is My Canvas,” Belvedere’s beloved, iconic bottle is getting an incredible update that pushes the company in a new creative direction. Senbanjo’s design marks the first time a Belvedere bottle has been produced with high-quality full-wrap sleeve technology. The process creates a striking design, one which draws upon Senbanjo’s Yoruba heritage and features a flowing design with sharp edges that represent the water and rye working together to produce dimension and taste, according to Belvedere. In addition, according to the company, a subtle skin-sense texture, which reacts to UV lights, is used to bring another sensory component to the bottle.
The exciting new LTO is eliciting praise from Rodney Williams, president of Belvedere Vodka. "When Laolu paints a subject, each design is unique to what he believes depicts their inner beauty. This phenomenal message is seamlessly in line with our mission to reveal the unexpected beauty in life," said Williams. "Also as a social advocate and former human rights attorney, Laolu's philosophies align with our commitment to community and creating positive action in the world,” he added, “in this case, the program supports the (RED) organization and the Global Fund to fight HIV/AIDS in Africa, a cause we've been supporting for 8 years."
For his part, Senbanjo highlights the opportunity this partnership has afforded him to continue pursuing his own vision. "As an artist I get to share my soul with people around me, my environment and the world and I'm able to channel my experiences like my journey as a human rights attorney and as a Nigerian," he said. "The Belvedere bottle design came from that inspiration as well as doing a lot of research about what Belvedere is at its core, like the rye and the pristine water. The bottle is an amazing blend of my art and bringing to life what Belvedere stands for – and I get to be a part of giving back to society, which means a lot to me."
The bottle will be formally revealed by Belvedere Vodka and Laolu at a New York Fashion Week event and will be widely available beginning in September. Sales of the bottle will support the global fund to help eliminate HIV/AIDS in Africa.
Talk to your Breakthru Sales Consultant about adding this landmark bottle to your order.