The Complete Rundown On Johnnie Walker’s Squid Game Collaboration

Three years after the premier of the smash-hit show, Squid Game, a new season is finally on the horizon. Johnnie Walker is inviting whisky fans and avid Squid Game watchers to ‘pick your player’ in a unique, celebratory collaboration. The partnership will see the release of limited-edition Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 Year Olds, with numbers on the bottles ranging from 001 to 456, a nod to the number of players in Squid Game. This exciting development is a continuation of a series of partnerships with Johnnie Walker, which began at the 76th Emmy Awards, for which Johnnie Walker was the Official Spirits Partner. 

I chatted with Josh Dean, Vice President of Johnnie Walker, DIAGEO North America about the collaboration, the creation of the unique bottles, and the cultural impacts of these types of partnerships. 

Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 Year Old x Squid Game 

The Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 Year Old Squid Game Limited Editions have been designed to stir up excitement for the forthcoming season. The label has been created using “both digital and conventional printing technologies to make this collection truly unique,” according to a brand press release. I asked Josh Dean what this meant. 

“Johnnie Walker Black Label Squid Game Edition features a pressure sensitive label. This allowed production of the full range of numbers from 001-456 by digitally printing the variable white numbering on each bottle with the remaining static elements being printed conventionally.

“Another aspect of the printing process was developing the texture of our iconic 20-degree slanted label that emulates the look and feel of the Squid Game player tracksuits from the show.” 

The label also features Johnnie Walker’s iconic Striding Man donned in the green tracksuit from Squid Game. 

The bottles are recognizably Johnnie Walker, and yet also distinctly unique in their ode to Squid Game. 

“Through our ‘Pick Your Player’ campaign, we wanted to visually showcase Johnnie Walker’s bold stride into partnering with the Squid Game franchise and excite our fanbases ahead of the series’ return with an element of discovery through our collectible, limited-edition Johnnie Walker Black Label bottle designs,” says Dean. “By impacting branding elements that are so uniquely Johnnie Walker – our square bottle, 20-degree slanted label and Striding Man – we are able to maintain that strong brand recognition.”

Johnnie Walker’s TV Show Collaborations 

Longtime Johnnie Walker fans will certainly remember the brand’s last big-name TV collaboration. Johnnie Walker collaborated with HBO to produce the Johnnie Walker Game of Thrones Limited Editions, which saw the launch of White Walker by Johnnie Walker, Johnnie Walker A Song of Ice, and Johnnie Walker A Song of Fire. 

Intrigued by the brand’s further collaboration with a hit TV show, I asked Josh Dean his opinion on the dual appeal of such whisky releases. 

“This collaboration with the worldwide Squid Game phenomenon marks the continuation of a series of partnerships to expand Johnnie Walker’s impact across cultural spheres and redefine whisky experiences to inspire a new generation of brand fans across the globe,” said Dean. “Johnnie Walker is the world’s number one Scotch Whisky brand, so it is fitting that we partnered with one of Netflix’s most-watched series to help enhance the experience for our shared audiences through an element of discovery with our limited-edition Squid Game bottle for fans to enjoy and collect.”

Where Can You Buy The Johnnie Walker Black Label Squid Game Edition? 

The Johnnie Walker Black Label Squid Game Editions will be available nationwide while stocks last for $34.99. In the UK, the limited-edition whisky is available at Tesco for £35. In the run-up to Christmas, and the release of Squid Game season 2 on December 26th, the limited Johnnie Walker Black Label Squid Game Edition is the perfect Christmas present for any whisky lover. 

“These randomized numbered bottles are not only the perfect gift for the holiday season, but a collectible treasure that only a brand like Johnnie Walker could bring to life with our expertise and resources,” says Josh Dean. “It’s outstanding that we have been able to back this cultural investment with a new product offering – not just creating bottles 1 through 10 but a full range of numbers from 001 to 456 nodding to the number of players featuring in the series.”

The Times Square Takeover 

In celebration of the launch, Johnnie Walker is taking over Times Square. At 4:56 pm EST (another nod to Squid Game) Johnnie Walker and Netflix will encourage fans across the globe to count down to Squid Game’s return on December 26th, 2024. 

Mixologist and cocktail creator, Ginn Choe, has also curated a new cocktail that you can sip and enjoy whilst watching the new season of Squid Game. According to Choe, “‘The 456’ is a cocktail with a twist of mystery just like the show. It’s made with popular and traditional Korean ingredients, such as honey for sweetener and barley tea known as bori-cha that marries well with the spice and vanilla notes of Johnnie Walker Black Label.”

A Global Campaign 

Netflix’s collaboration with Johnnie Walker will be broadcast globally, ensuring that Squid Game fans around the globe are poised in front of their TV on December 26th. “Squid Game fans are highly anticipating the show’s return. To give them something really special and unexpected, in collaboration with Johnnie Walker, we dressed the iconic Striding Man in the show’s classic green tracksuit. Through our partnership, we’ve taken the series from the screen to the shelf, to the streets, even surprising fans in Times Square with an opportunity to play a game featured on Squid Game” said Magno Herran, Vice President of Global Brand &  Partner Marketing at Netflix.

“This excellent integrated experience also includes promotion of the campaign on Netflix’s ad-supported plan, so our members can pick up the perfect pairing of Johnnie Walker and Netflix for the series release this December.”