Johnnie Walker Brand – A Marketing Genius

Dating all the way back to 1860, Johnnie Walker’s marketing strategy has continuously been altered to suit the business of the rich and progressive brand of scotch whiskey. John Walker’s son, Alexander Walker, reformed the whiskey brand by making some very shrewd marketing decisions that still affect Johnnie Walker today.

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Square Bottles

Alexander chose square bottles labeled at a super-precise 24-degree angle, in order to give the product a larger shelf presence. The shape would definitely stand out among the crowd, and also give space to accommodate more of them on the shelves. The slanting of the label would help in holding more text.

Striding Man Logo

Although the ‘striding man’ logo of the brand looks like a work of art, it was first sketched in 1908, on the back of a napkin. It definitely has evolved since then, in order to fit the current times and stay relevant to them.

Classic Tagline

If you’ve heard of Johnnie Walker, you’ve definitely heard the tagline ‘Keep Walking’. This was integrated into the brand in 2000, and required a small redesign of the logo to compliment the tagline – flipping the Striding Man’s position so that he appears to march to the right.

Emphasis Of The Logo

The point of reversing the direction of the Striding Man was to emphasize that the logo moves forward towards progress and fulfillment of personal goals. The director at Diageo North America, the British food and beverage conglomerate that owns Johnnie Walker, claims that the ‘Keep Walking’ poses as a uniting theme around the world. It has managed to embed itself into local cultures and has been used by consumers as a call to action.

Call To Action

Embodying a sense of prestige and arrival, the Johnnie Walker brand has made its mark in emerging markets as well as in feelings of national aspiration. The brand was creatively marketed at the New York elections too, and the logo was all over the game.