Andre the Giant has a posse that includes Mattel.
The toy giant teamed up with Obey Giant founder Shepard Fairey for the latest edition of the UNO Artiste Series. The collectible new UNO deck features unique designs by Fairey and can be purchased exclusively via Mattel’s growing direct-to-consumer (D2C) platform, Mattel Creations.
“We are excited to partner with the renowned artist, Shepard Fairey,” says Mattel President and Chief Operating Officer Richard Dickson. “Through curated partnerships, Mattel Creations offers toys as art and art inspired by toys, and the UNO Artiste Series: Shepard Fairey collaboration is the embodiment of that philosophy.”
Fairey’s offering uses the UNO deck as a blank canvas for interpretation and follows previous UNO Artiste Series decks from Nina Chanel Abney, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and Keith Haring
“I was honored to work with a brand as iconic as UNO to translate my artistic vision to this medium,” Fairey says. “As I continue to search for unexpected ways to connect with people, I loved the challenge of finding the balance between my voice and visual language combined with the recognizable visuals of UNO. Moreover, this partnership is personal to me — I played UNO with my family as a kid, and so the game brings back fond memories, and I love that my art can be part of the conversation as friends and families enjoy a game of UNO.”
UNO is making a donation on behalf of Fairey to Ocean Conservancy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. This is the first UNO Artiste Series deck made without plastic trays or cellophane.
