In Celebration Of Women’s History Month, Johnnie Walker Is Becoming Jane Walker

“Master of Whisky” Stephen Wilson and actress Christina Hendricks toast Johnnie Walker Platinum Label at Santa Monica Museum of Art. Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images.

To celebrate Women’s History Month, Johnnie Walker has announced new limited-edition bottles featuring its interpretation of a female version of its iconic mascot. The Scotch whisky brand owned by Diageo is releasing 250,000 bottles featuring “Jane Walker.”

The Jane Walker campaign is part of Diageo’s attempt to get more women interested in Johnnie Walker whisky. According to International Wine & Spirit Research, women are drinking more whiskey than ever but only account for 37% of the market.

“Scotch as a category is seen as particularly intimidating by women,” Diageo vice president Stephanie Jacoby told Bloomberg. “It’s a really exciting opportunity to invite women into the brand.”

While Diageo’s campaign is clearly about expanding the brand’s reach across the gender divide, it should also do some good. The company will donate one dollar per Jane Walker bottle manufactured to organizations that promote women, including She Should Run and Monumental Women.

In 2017, Kentucky Fried Chicken changed the gender of its iconic mascot, Colonel Harland Sanders, to promote its Smoky Mountain BBQ fried chicken. Country singer Reba McEntire joined a growing list of celebrities to briefly assume the role of Sanders, which includes Rob Lowe, Norm MacDonald, Jim Gaffigan, and George Hamilton.

While McEntire’s stint as the colonel was mainly in jest, Red Baron recently changed its mascot to a woman to better connect with mothers. While the dashing, mustachioed Baron still graces its pizza packaging, the brand’s TV, print, and digital ads now feature a Baroness. According to April Anslinger, chief growth officer at Schwan’s Consumer Brands, “The Baroness isn’t an aviator but a mom who understands parenting doesn’t always mean perfection.”