Diageo launches ‘Jane Walker’: Limited Edition of Johnnie Walker Whiskey to Promote Gender Equality
Johnnie Walker is rolling out a female version of it iconic logo.
To draw more women to the world’s best-selling scotch and to acknowledge a broader push towards gender equality, Johnnie Walker is rolling out a female version of it iconic logo. A limited U.S. edition of the whiskey will have a striding woman on the label, carrying the name Jane Walker, rather than the traditional top-hatted man. Brand owner Diageo is hoping the move widens the appeal of the product while celebrating women. The new variant will be available in the US from March to coincide with Women’s History month and International Women’s Day celebrations.
Johnie Walker vice president Stephanie Jacoby said, “Important conversations about gender continue to be at the forefront of culture and we believe there is no better time than now to introduce Jane Walker icon and contribute to pioneering organisations that share our mission.” Further in an interview Jacoby said, “Scotch as a category is seen as particularly intimidating by women. It’s an exciting opportunity to invite women into the brand. We like to think of our striding man and our striding woman as walking together going forward.” Jane Walker will appear on 250,000 bottles nationwide. And for every bottle produced, Diageo will be donating a dollar to organisations like She Should Run, championing women’s causes with a total donation of up to 250,000 dollars. She Should Run is dedicated to inspiring women to run for office.
The Jane Walker launch is the latest part of the brand’s ‘Keep Walking America’ push which began in 2016. The campaign is an attempt to speak to a broader audience with ads spotlighting Latinos and veterans. Diageo is also looking to increase female representation internally. Its board will be 50% women in April. While this batch of bottles is a limited run, this isn’t the last of Jane.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 27, 2018 06:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).