After an advertising hiatus of six years, Black is back – Johnnie Walker Black Label that is. So is Johnnie Walker Red Label for that matter – thanks in part to an integrated campaign where any division between brand concept and media plan is virtually indiscernible. The brand’s Striding Man icon is seen stepping confidently across the printed page, computer screens, and through inventive and destination-unique use of OOH.
Goal
* Increase awareness of the striding man and ‘Keep Walking’ tagline.
Target consumer
* Males 25-plus who are professional, educated and enjoy urban living.
Insight and strategy
Connect with the consumer’s desire to succeed by dramatizing the values of inspiring personal progress through high impact, strategically targeted media.
Consumer touchpoints
* National magazine ads * Targeted OOH * Integrated online ads
Execution
The campaign is focused around two key times for the brand – four weeks during the December holiday period and then again for the Chinese New Year. It first launched as a limited OOH campaign in November 2005. That success led to a bigger effort for December 2006, which included national print ads in Canadian Business, Profit Magazine, Golf Canada and Maclean’s as well as online, and both static and digital OOH components.
During that time, targeted OOH executions were placed in strategic areas of Toronto to reach the male demo. This included spectaculars in the heart of Toronto’s financial district and an illuminated 3D installation created specifically for Diageo by Titan Outdoor. For the Chinese New Year, this installation was physically moved to the heart of Chinatown to drive Johnnie Walker’s association with this key season.
To reach commuters, Toronto’s Union Station was dominated by wall murals, billboards, column wraps, floor decals, as well as backlits, door decals and other structural wraps – all using distinct creative ploys to connect the message between the various media vehicles. A ladder execution (which gives the impression that the Striding Man icon climbed a ladder to reach the billboard) was strategically placed in areas where the target consumer socializes.
At Toronto’s Dundas Square shopping district, the outdoor spectacular ladder execution complemented the Johnnie Walker video screen advertising across the street. In 2006, this involved synchronization of four interactive digital screens where every hour the Striding Man appears on one screen, overcomes an obstacle and progresses to the next screen.
The Johnny Walker icon was also seen striding across computer screens within websites devoted to finance, sports and lifestyle including martiniboys.com, stockhouse.ca, and the askmen.com portal.
Results
Based on two years cumulative data, measures of ad awareness and key image (brand health) were three-times higher in markets with advertising versus non-ad markets while brand commitment was twice as high.
Credits
Starcom Worldwide
Chris Morandin, SVP group media director; Cory Pelletier, former strategy manager; Randy Carelli, former strategy manager; Rachel Olive, IP manager; Corey Derouin, strategy planner
Leo Burnett
Katie Musgrave, account executive; Kim Burchiel, production supervisor
Diageo
Michele D’Angelo, director, Scotch, Canadian Whisky, Rum; Michael Spencer, category manager, Scotch
