Just in time for Women’s History Month in March and International Women’s Day on March 8, Johnnie Walker has launched Johnnie Walker Black Label the Jane Walker Edition, featuring the new Jane Walker female brand icon. After nearly two centuries of the Johnnie Walker whisky brand, the special edition Black Label will mark the first time a female icon is featured on the bottle.
The Jane Walker symbol is not merely a marketing ploy. The striding woman is in step with Johnnie Walker’s progress-oriented “Keep Walking America” campaign, and according to the company, women comprise almost half of the brand’s 12 expert blenders, and hold several leadership positions.
Stephanie Jacoby, vice president of Johnnie Walker, said in a statement, “Important conversations about gender continue to be at the forefront of culture and we strongly believe there is no better time than now to introduce our Jane Walker icon and contribute to pioneering organizations that share our mission. We are proud to toast the many achievements of women and everyone on the journey towards progress in gender equality.”
Part of that mission is supporting women’s organizations and charitable causes. For each bottle of the Jane Walker Edition sold, $1 will be donated, with $150,000 of a total donation of $250,000 going to the Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony Statue Fund and its Monumental Women campaign, a nonprofit aiming to add a statue commemorating America’s women suffragists in Central Park in New York City. (Currently, there are 23 statues of historical figures in Central Park, and none are women.)
A portion of proceeds will also go to She Should Run, an organization that aims to increase the number of women running for office in the U.S.
“We are here to move history forward. Our project honors Stanton and Anthony as well as all the women who fought for the largest nonviolent revolution in the history of this nation, when over half the population won the right to vote. It’s an instant history lesson,” Pam Elam, president, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony Statue Fund and its Monumental Women Campaign, said in a press release. “Monumental change is coming. We thank Johnnie Walker for their support and recognizing the importance of Women’s History.”
Johnnie Walker Black Label the Jane Walker Edition will be available nationwide starting March 2018 at a suggested retail price of $34.00 for a 750 ml bottle. Visit WalkWithJane.com for more information.
