Introducing Johnnie Walker The Black Label The Jane Walker Edition

For the first time in more than a century, Scotch whisky brand The Johnnie Walker Black Label will feature a new icon “Jane Walker”, depicting her in a distinctly curvaceous silhouette with top hat, tuxedo jacket, jodhpurs and riding boots.

The new icon is part of the brand’s marketing campaign to celebrate Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day, which kick-start next month.

When the Scotch whisky brand mentioned the launch of a new campaign with an aim to highlight the roles of key women in the development of the brand, it didn’t take long for comments to flood the Twitter social media channel. Some are in favour of the move, while several others are not in full support of it.

“I can’t even enjoy scotch anymore without being mansplained and condescended by nitwits?! No thanks,” reads one tweet.

“Sorry… exactly what progress has been made? Pay equality? Political Equality? Reproductive control? Hmmm…But thank GOD there’s a scotch with a lady on the bottle. Now I feel equal. Thanks.”

Another woman pointed out that other brands have tried and failed — spectacularly — in trying to cash in on the feminist movement. She said: “I’m not remotely intimidated by Scotch, but I’ll be steering clear of this. It’s as condescending as those foolish Doritos and Bic pens for ‘ladies.’ You may want to consider what happened in those cases.”

As reported by Bloomberg, Scotch whisky volumes grew 2.1 percent between 2002 and 2017 in the U.S., according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S., a trade organisation. And Johnnie Walker has outpaced many competitors, growing 18 percent last year – boosted by a revival of cocktail culture.

Brand owner Diageo Plc is hoping the move widens the appeal of the product while celebrating women, said Stephanie Jacoby, vice president of Johnnie Walker. “It’s a really exciting opportunity to invite women into the brand.”

While the Scotch whisky brand has stood for progress in women rights, esteemed women such as Elizabeth Walker, wife of founder John Walker together with the company’s 12 females blenders, too, have been involved in the development of the brand.

The Jane Walker Edition will be available in March 2018. With every bottle sold, London-based Diageo, one of the world’s largest producer of spirits and a key producer of beer, will donate a dollar to the organisations, including charities that champion women’s causes.

Visit the official website for more details here.