New writing on Medium: How Johnnie Walker kept walking

An obituary for Ivan Menezes, CEO of global spirits corporation Diageo, jogged my memory about something I’d written many years ago about Johnnie Walker, the Scotch whisky brand that Menezes helped revive with the enduring effective “Keep Walking” campaign.

I revisited that campaign—still going strong 24 years after its launch—in my latest story for Medium, “The Man Who Kept Johnnie Walker Walking.” That’s a friend link, so you’ll bypass the paywall; if you’d like to read everything I’ve published on Medium—70 stories so far—as well as all the other Medium stories, here’s a referral link. (I’ll get a percentage of your membership fee—thanks!)

Blog bonus: Here’s a bit of Johnnie Walker history that didn’t make it into my story.

In February 2018 Johnnie Walker introduced “Jane Walker,” a special edition of Johnnie Walker Black Label (the mid-range stuff) whose label featured a Striding Woman instead of the brand’s traditional Striding Man.—“a symbol to represent the fearless women taking steps on behalf of all.”

“We are proud to toast the many achievements of women and everyone on the journey towards progress in gender equality,” said Stephanie Jacoby, a VP at Johnnie Walker. The launch was timed for the lead-up to Women’s History Month in March.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jane Walker blended Scotch whisky.

 

Not everyone cheersed. NPR compared Jane Walker to failed attempts at brand feminization like Bic for Her and Lady Doritos. And Jelisa Castrodale, writing in Vice, acknowledged Diageo’s and Johnnie Walker’s admirable record on gender equity and philanthropy but concluded about the “questionable label swap”:

There are better ways that Johnnie Walker could have expressed its support for women, and even acknowledged its own efforts toward workplace equality. But instead, it dressed a woman up in Johnnie’s clothes and called it a day. That doesn’t necessarily make me want to drink Scotch but, good lord, it does make me want to drink something.