East African Breweries

JOHNNIE WALKER CELEBRATES 200 YEARS WITH A STROLL ACROSS KENYA

There are no two ways about it: Johnnie Walker Whisky is the bestselling Scotch whisky in the world. From last year, coming into early this year, the iconic Scotch brand has been on a celebratory high, as it marks two centuries since John Walker sold its first bottle in a small grocery store in rural Scotland, circa 1820.

In its remarkable 200-year existence, Johnnie Walker has built itself on a foundation that consists of a dedication to quality and commitment to progress. An infallible combination. The worldfamous Striding Man logo encapsulates all this ethos that the brand exudes in a way that many brands in existence today will be hard-pressed to replicate. Johnnie Walker first sold in Kenya in 1950, and its story resonates with Kenya. The country has walked a long journey in different arenas since independence, its people demonstrating resilience in different areas of life. Regardless of what stands in the way, like the Striding Man, a Kenyan will keep walking.

This is what the brand has recognised and looked to celebrate in Kenya, to mark its bicentennial jubilee. The brand lit up Kenya’s biggest cities: Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu with the Striding Man projected on key landmarks, and fireworks that lit up the sky. The locations selected were the emblematic Kenyatta International Convention Centre in Nairobi, Fort Jesus in Mombasa and the Kisumu Yacht club. That was not all, Johnnie Walker just recently conquered Mt Kenya and Striding man has found his residence at the Kenyatta International Conference Center, with installations at the helipad and he is set to stretch his legs next to the golden Kenyan savannah, with hot air balloon expeditions in Amboseli.

All the while, championing the Johnnie Walker clarion call: Keep Walking. As Johnnie Walker swaggers on into the next 200 years, it will be right in stride with the Kenyan people, whose resilience and determination are replenished with every waking day. Raise your glass of Johnnie Walker to the Kenyan people who keep pushing boundaries and keep walking.