BRAND HISTORY
1805
THE STORY OF JOHNNIE WALKER
1805
1805
THE BEGINNING
THE LEGEND OF JOHNNIE WALKER
John Walker, the first son of Alexander Walker, was born on Todriggs Farm located in a small Scottish town called Kilmarnock. This is the beginning of the grand voyage of Johnnie Walker.
THE STORY OF JOHNNIE WALKER
1820
1820
COURAGEOUS DECISION
John Walker was only 14 years old when he began his business following the death of his father. Using the money he acquired by selling the farm, he opened a small grocery store in Kilmarnock.
THE STORY OF JOHNNIE WALKER
1825
1825
THE FIRST STEP
Initially, the single malt whisky blended by taking hints from tea blending was sold only to loyal customers. This excellent quality whisky became popular in no time, and the whisky business of this small grocery store achieved great success.
THE STORY OF JOHNNIE WALKER
1852
1852
THE NEW ERA
This year, the store’s stock was almost entirely destroyed by a flood that hit Scotland. Notwithstanding this misfortune, John's son Alexander Walker, who was still in his teens at the time, exhausted every avenue to rebuild his father's business, and managed to recover the business within a couple of years.
THE STORY OF JOHNNIE WALKER
1857
1857
CLEAR VISION
When the founder John Walker passed away, Alexander took over his business. He had a vision of distributing the whisky bearing his father’s name around the world. He cut a deal with ship captains setting out on voyages, and that is how Johnnie Walker took a first step on its global journey.
THE STORY OF JOHNNIE WALKER
1867
1867
THE ORIGIN OF THE STYLE
The Walker family has perfected the Old Highland Whisky, the origin of their current blending style. Its excellence became synonymous with the best whisky of the time. Its iconic square bottle with a label tilted at an angle of 24 degrees became recognizable around the world.
THE STORY OF JOHNNIE WALKER
1889
1889
PASSING DOWN TO THE NEXT GENERATION
Alexander passed away, and his two sons took over: Sir Alexander II as the blender, and George as the business manager. The entrepreneurial spirit and vision of Sir Alexander II led Johnnie Walker to even greater success.
THE STORY OF JOHNNIE WALKER
1908
1908
CREATION OF THE STRIDING MAN
While having lunch with the Walker brothers, Tom Browne, a satirical cartoonist, drew the Striding Man on the back of a menu, which became a precedent for world-famous brand logos.
THE STORY OF JOHNNIE WALKER
1909
1909
BRAND OF TIMELESS POPULARITY
The new names of “Johnnie Walker Red Label” and “Johnnie Walker Black Label” were introduced, following the habit of customers who used to identify different types of Old Highland Whisky by their label colors.
THE STORY OF JOHNNIE WALKER
1920
1920
BORN IN 1820 - STILL GOING STRONG
In 1920s Johnnie Walker had become the first real global brand being sold in more than 120 states in the world, which was established in small town Kilmarnock Scotland.
THE STORY OF JOHNNIE WALKER
1934
1934
ROYAL WARRANT
John Walker & Sons was granted a Royal Warrant – a symbol of excellence and authenticity. Johnnie Walker has remained an official purveyor of whiskey to the Royal Household to this day.
THE STORY OF JOHNNIE WALKER
1992
1992
A GAME-CHANGER
“Johnnie Walker Blue Label” was created under the philosophy to craft a truly best whisky by blending young and old. It threw the common sense of the whisky industry out the window, and pioneered the new category of luxury whisky.
THE STORY OF JOHNNIE WALKER
2005
2005
STEP INSIDE THE CIRCUIT
In 2005 Johnnie Walker took a bold step on its journey of global success, by partnering with one of the most iconic teams in Formula 1, McLaren.
THE STORY OF JOHNNIE WALKER
2011
2011
A SYMBOL OF LUXURY SCOTCH WHISKY
Blue Label, which revolutionized the whisky industry as a flagship of Johnnie Walker, revealed a new design. While keeping the iconic look, the new design adds more sophisticated presence and is a worldwide success that goes beyond the realm of scotch whisky.
THE STORY OF JOHNNIE WALKER
2012
2012
UNPARALLELED HIGH QUALITY
Johnnie Walker’s luxury line, the John Walker & Sons Collection, was introduced. As a highest collection bearing the company name, it marks a new chapter in the history of Johnnie Walker. Signature Blend, a program targeting individual clients, is an ultimate bespoke experience only made possible by the No. 1* scotch whisky house.
*Source: IMPACT Databank, 2014 Report
*Source: IMPACT Databank, 2014 Report
THE STORY OF JOHNNIE WALKER
2020
2020
2020 CELEBRATES JOHNNIE WALKER 200TH ANNIVERSARY
