It’s not often that you hear of a whisky company targeting women, let alone going after the market with such an earnest and right-minded approach as Johnny Walker’s latest fundraising idea: Introducing the Jane Walker Edition of their famous Johnny Walker Black Label Whisky, a special bottle with a unique logo raising money for women’s causes.
Celebrating March 2018’s Women’s History Month as well as this past International Women’s Day, the Jane Walker Editions of the whisky have a female variant of the iconic Johnny Walker striding man logo that a press release from the company touted as symbolizing a “brand that has stood for progress for nearly 200 years.”
Women were instrumental in getting the whisky company going with the founding Cardhu distillery once being owned by a woman named Elizabeth Cumming.
As it would so happen, this original distillery still plays a large role in Johnny Walker whisky today.
One of the single malts “considered the heart of the blend” takes its name from this original distillery. In addition, Elizabeth Walker, wife of founder Johnny Walker, helped her husband and son develop the original blend of whisky as she worked alongside them both in the family’s grocery store. Continuing this tradition, women hold executive positions across the company as well as fulfilling other critical business roles.
Discussing the release of the Jane Walker Edition of Johnny Walker Black Label, Vice President of Johnnie Walker Stephanie Jacoby said: “Important conversations about gender continue to be at the forefront of culture and we strongly believe there is no better time than now to introduce our Jane Walker icon and contribute to pioneering organizations that share our mission…We are proud to toast the many achievements of women and everyone on the journey towards progress in gender equality.”
As part of its commitment to promoting women’s causes during this month of March 2018, Johnny Walker will donate $1 for every bottle sold to the charitable group called Keep Walking America. The company will donate “up to $250,000, including a donation of $150,000 to the Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony Statue Fund and its Monumental Women campaign.”
The Monumental Women Campaign is a movement to place a monument honoring the United States suffragists in New York City’s Central Park, an iconic location that is home to 23 historic statues – all of which are male. Monumental Women hopes to change that.
While Johnny Walker’s commitment to contribute money to charitable causes is often mirrored by other organizations, the changing of the brand’s logo to reflect this support is monumental indeed. The company says this decision was made to emphasize the brand’s many diverse communities that make up the Johnny Walker family as well as to continue its tradition of honoring pioneers and the progressive spirit.
The Johnnie Walker Black Label The Jane Walker Edition is available for approximately $34.
By Keith Lutz
