• by Todd Wasserman , October 6, 2021

In the latest iteration of its global “Keep Walking” campaign Johnnie Walker taps a handful of iconic rock songs that celebrate walking—from Aerosmith and Run-DMC’s “Walk This Way” to Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made for Walking” to Lou Reed’s “Walk on the Wild Side.”

The new ads are designed to inspire people to get back on their feet after nearly two tough years overshadowed by the pandemic.

The brand’s “Keep Walking” tagline has been around for more than 20 years, but Julie Bramham, global brand director for Johnnie Walker said, “After everything we’ve all been through in the past few years, we can’t imagine a time in recent history when those sentiments could be more relevant.”

The campaign includes city takeovers in New York, Cape Town, Tokyo, Bangkok and elsewhere projecting quotes from artists like Grace Jones, Mark Twain and Ayrton Senna.

Aligned with the campaign, the brand is forging a series of partnerships around the world with “change-makers” and artists like DJ Alok (Brazil), CL (Korea) and Alfonso Herrera (Mexico) who will join forces with Johnnie Walker to help reinvigorate social spaces like bars, clubs and venues as the world begins to reopen.

The campaign launch comes just weeks after Johnnie Walker opened the doors to its visitor attraction, Johnnie Walker Princes Street, in the heart of Edinburgh, Scotland, giving people a way to experience whisky and socialize together again in the brand's homeland.

It also follows $100 million of investment from parent company Diageo over the past 18 months via its “Raise The Bar” program to help pubs and bars with post-pandemic recovery efforts.

Johnnie Walker sales had experienced growth since 2009, but in 2020 sales fell sharply, a drop that was mostly attributable to a falloff in demand from bar and restaurants.