Johnnie Walker and Cultural Changemakers Launch 'The Walkers' Program

Johnnie Walker, the world’s number one Scotch whisky, has launched a series of local partnerships with cultural changemakers to revive social spaces in countries around the world. The launch of ‘The Walkers’ program is part of the latest chapter of its famous Keep Walking campaign which was announced in October this year.

The brand’s Keep Walking campaigns have been inspiring people around the world with a message of progress and positivity for more than 20 years. This latest iteration, developed in partnership with VIRTUE the creative agency from Vice, is a global commitment to create and fund socialising experiences on the ground that drive positive impact for everyone – helping to breathe life back into social spaces that have suffered in recent years.

Julie Bramham, Johnnie Walker global brand director, said: “Johnnie Walker has always been defiantly optimistic and a beacon of progress – that’s what Keep Walking is all about. For our latest chapter, we wanted to explore how we could support our partner communities across the world as people start socialising again.  The Walkers program is a meaningful way to work with locally loved and valued voices to help reinvigorate social spaces like bars, clubs, and venues to help get local culture back on its feet and moving again.”

The Walkers program will be brought to life in countries across the world through a series of locally relevant initiatives which bring communities together to support local venues and bars and give Keep Walking a new meaning for people today.  The idea behind The Walkers is reflective of the societal move to celebrate the acts of people as a collective - actions that drive positive impact for everyone.

K-pop icon CL has launched a series of events in the iconic venues that made the South Korean social scene the vibrant, progressive hub that it is famed for.

The programme has launched in India with a series of over 250 live events including invigorating performances from Walkers such as Divine, Ritviz and Lisha Mishra to celebrate and revitalise the after-hours culture through their trailblazing music. 

In Thailand, singer / actress Violette Wautier is leading the agenda to revitalise local street culture and encourage Thais to taste the richer experience of local communities.

In Colombia, hip hop group ChocQuibTown and other local artists launched a series of local events with other Colombian Walkers to showcase what the Keep Walking attitude means to them.

In Greece, singer Konstantinos Argiros is leading the Keep Walking Together campaign, encouraging people to stand right next to and support our partners, colleagues and those who walk with us and express  gratitude towards them for their support along the way. First, with a TV ad under the concept of “Time to Enjoy the Live Music Together. Again!” followed by a second TV ad with Konstantinos championing the spirit of gratitude towards his father who gave him the ownership to chase his dreams and follow his passion in music.

Nate Woodhead, Virtue’s group creative director, said: “We have seen a societal shift of celebrating the actions and successes of people, at their most powerful when they come together.  We wanted to create a campaign that honoured those changemakers driving action at a time when the world felt powerless.  When we looked at the context of each of our key markets it was clear that reconnecting people through social and cultural experiences was the perfect starting point for The Walkers program.”

Johnnie Walker appointed global cultural partner VIRTUE and the agency has led and supported the development of the Walkers program across key Johnnie Walker markets—Africa, Brazil, Mexico, South Korea, Thailand, India, Colombia amongst others.

Looking ahead to 2022, the Walkers programme continues with the revolution of nightclub events in Seoul, block parties and festivals in Mexico and the transformation of parking lots to barklets in Brazil.

The campaign follows $100m of investment over the past 18 months from parent company Diageo to help pubs’ and bars’ post-pandemic recovery by supporting jobs and communities around the world through their Raise the Bar program.