Johnnie Walker

Company: Diageo PLC

Brand value: US$2,375 million

Headquarter city: London

Industry: Alcohol

Year formed: 1819

Johnnie Walker, with its distinctive square bottle and “striding man” image on the label, has become one of the best-known whisky brands in the world. The brand’s origins lie in a grocery shop in Kilmarnock, Scotland, almost 200 years ago, run by a young Mr Walker, who started the store with the proceeds of the sale of his family farm. The Johnnie Walker portfolio has recently expanded beyond the long-standing Red Label and Black Label variants, with new premium options: Double Black, Gold Label Reserve, 18-year-old Platinum Label, and Blue Label. Advertising for many years centred on the “Keep Walking” tagline, which in 2015 was updated to “Joy Will Take You Further”, focusing on the role of joy as the key to personal success. At the time, the “Joy” campaign was said to be Johnnie Walker’s biggest marketing push to date. In mid-2017, Johnnie Walker launched an anti-drink-driving campaign, “Join the Pact”, which worked in partnership with the Department for Transport’s THINK! Campaign. It features Formula 1 drivers Sergio Perez, Mika Häkkinen, Stoffel Vandoorne and Esteban Ocon. Johnnie Walker is now sold in more than 180 countries worldwide, with China a key market. Diageo is listed on the London Stock Exchange.