From Square Bottles to the Striding Man: How Johnnie Walker Became a Global Icon – Part 2

As the best-selling scotch whisky brand in the world, Johnnie Walker has attained global recognition in no small part due to key advertising decisions, which ensure the brand remains an integral and innovative contributor to Scotland’s whisky heritage and industry.

Celebrating the launch of The Whiskey Wash’s Johnnie Walker Advert Archive, a collection curating nearly 100 print advertisements from 1911 to 1963 – a series of three articles explores the key advertising decisions from the Johnnie Walker brand’s 19th-century origins to 21st-century global marketing. In this second article, Johnnie Walker’s iconic mascot the ‘Striding Man’, and its role within early brand advertising is considered – linking with adverts collected in the Whiskey Wash archive. This article also explores the ways in which the brand has used print advertisements to engage with consumers during social and historic events. 

An Iconic Mascot: The ‘Striding Man’ 

When the Johnnie Walker brand was launched in 1909, George P. Walker and company managing director James Stevenson sought to overhaul the blend’s marketing by approaching famous cartoonist and illustrator Tom Browne to design a new mascot in 1908. Browne allegedly sketched the first iconic ‘Striding Man’ design on a menu during the meeting with Walker and Stevenson. Stevenson would also devise the classic marketing strapline ‘Born 1820 – Still Going Strong’.

Johnnie Walker’s famous ‘Striding Man’ mascot depicting a Regency gentleman attired in coattails and a top hat has gained global recognition, originally appearing in the brand’s printed advertising from 1911. The earliest print brand advertisements featured the ‘Striding Man’ relaxing socially or participating in sporting activities, including bowls, tennis, and cricket – while the advert’s text referenced the Johnnie Walker whisky. 

For example, ‘No! It Is Not Luck’ (The Illustrated London News, November 11th, 1911) depicts the mascot demonstrating his archery skills at an outdoor fair, explaining to a lady, ‘No! It is not luck’ but the result of a steady aim and practice – linking to the 90 years of distilling and blending practiced by Johnnie Walker since 1820, producing a quality whisky.

Throughout the 1920s’, the ‘Striding Man’ would appear in a series of themed advertisements. This began with the ‘Johnnie Walker Travel Series’ which saw the mascot illustrated journeying to countries including New Zealand (‘Well, What do you think of this Māori carving?’) and Borneo (Is that to keep the evil spirits away?), emphasizing the cultural and historical significance of these locations. ‘The Old Craft’ themed series depicted the mascot observing traditional British crafts such as, ‘Thatching’ and ‘Yorkshire Stone-Walling’ – linking craftsmanship to quality Johnnie Walker.

As photography replaced hand-drawn advertising illustrations, the ‘Striding Man’ was converted into a brand logo, appearing on bottle labels from 1960.

Engaging Advertising: Wartime Marketing

Johnnie Walker’s printed advertisements were produced during a dynamic period of global history, with content often reflecting contemporary events including two world wars and Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. In the 1910s, Johnnie Walker referenced the role played by soldiers from British colonial territories in the First World War by depicting the ‘Striding Man’ engaging with soldiers from Canada and New Zealand.

For the duration of the Second World War, the ‘Striding Man’ is conspicuously absent from the brand’s advertising as wartime propaganda dominated to boost morale, encourage rationing, and recruit soldiers. The ‘Good work… good whisky’ series of adverts predominantly places a bottle of Johnnie Walker in the foreground, whilst a background scene depicts actions of wartime resilience. These scenes range from planting seeds to ‘Dig for Victory’ and investing in ‘Defence Bonds’, to repurposing ‘Metal Fencing’ for the war effort and serving in ‘Naval Convoys’ – while still emphasizing the enjoyment of a quality whisky.

The ‘Striding Man’ would return in the postwar era, notably in the advert, ‘Time Marches On!’, where the scene depicts the mascot stepping between the different eras of the 19th century and the contemporary 1940s, symbolizing the journey into a modern world while continuing to emphasize Johnnie Walker’s quality and legacy. In the 1950s, the ‘Striding Man’ would reference the brand’s enduring presence and tradition in an advert featuring vibrant illustrations of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation procession in 1953 – the seventh coronation since the origins of the Johnnie Walker brand in 1820.