Hello *cough* Jane Walker

By Emma Briones

Only a few weeks ago it was just a rumor, one only recently confirmed by British drinks giant Diageo. There is a new Johnnie Walker in town: it wears black and it is called ‘The Jane Walker Edition’.

This new limited edition has supposedly created to honor Women’s History Month and the International’s Women Day. Despite that billing, it is just your usual Johnnie Walker Black Label with a twist and it will only be available in the US. With Jane Walker, the Scotch brand wants to “draw more women to drink Scotch whisky and push towards gender equality” (presumably American women, given the distribution). Stephanie Jacoby, Johnnie Walker VP, said to Bloomberg that “Scotch whisky is intimidating for women’ and that ‘this is an exciting opportunity to invite women to the brand.”

But does the whisky industry need a Jane Walker?

The intention was basically good, in that Diageo decided not to bet on a “lighter and softer flavor.” Nice. The company even choose not to use a pink color for the labeling. Really nice.

But does the picture of a woman in a bottle draw more women into buying that product? If that was the case, maybe one of the world’s best-selling Scotch whiskies would be Cardhu, whose logo shows a woman raising a flag. But it is not. In fact, the world’s best-selling Scotch whisky is, indeed, Johnnie Walker.

We already know that women are not your usual whisky consumer. We tend to get weird looks from bartenders when asking for a whisky neat. But changing a label is not going to change that.

Jacoby says that whisky is seen as intimidating by women. But I’ve also seen some men reluctant to even try a single dram. Is it a gender issue? I don’t think so. Is It an education issue? Yes, as are a lot of gender issues we daily face.

Whisky is a drink that requires time and knowledge. That implies a key point that brands usually forget: education. You start enjoying whisky when you have started to appreciate it. It is then when you can choose whatever you are in the mood for. You might choose a fresh and floral whisky today, go for a lovely smoky one tomorrow and maybe try a nice gin cocktail on the weekend. Knowledge gives you the privilege to choose and to know you must learn first.

If what you want to see is more women choosing to drink a whisky, try promoting a new consumption model. I’ve seen more women drinking whisky in the last year due to the strong promotion by some brands of the “newest” drink (don’t get me started on this one), whisky and ginger ale. I might not like the “newest” concept (and I do come from a marketing background), but I can’t argue that it is working.

And don’t forget the power that media has on human behavior. Just think about how many people you know tried whisky because of TV shows like Mad Men and How I Met Your Mother.

Also, if you want to be the brand that wants to empower women, there are a lot of ways to go. If this were bourbon, you could tell the story of Margie Samuels, who invented the iconic look of Maker’s Mark. Diageo could take Cardhu’s and lead with the spirit of Helen Cumming, its founder, and choose to tell her story. As for Johnnie Walker itself, honor all those women who work in the whisky you are promoting. According to Johnnie Walker’s press release, half percent of the brand’s 12 expert blenders are women. Let them be known. Tell their story. You can, for example, claim Aimée Gibson’s role on the creation of some Johnnie Walker Blenders’ Batch.

Diageo’s intention is good. “With every step, we all move forward,” claims the slogan. But time will tell if Jane Walker is the proper choice or just another limited edition pushed by a marketing campaign to collect on a popular theme.

Now for the details. Jane Walker will be available (officially) only in the US. There will be 250,000 bottles, retailed at $34. To push towards gender equality, Johnnie Walker will be donating $1 for every bottle of the Jane Walker Edition made to organizations championing women’s causes.