If you’ve watched Tina Fey’s TV series, 30 Rock, you will remember the episode where a fragrance launched especially for plus sized women named ‘Enorme’, triggering a debate on why larger ladies needed an exclusive fragrance to begin with?
When a specific demographic is targeted by a product, conjecture sways both ways, is it to appease them or is it merely a marketing ploy? And that’s how Diageo’s newest product is being viewed.
The iconic staple, Johnnie Walker is all set to welcome his beau, Jane Walker, an announcement that comes in the wake of International Women’s Day (presumably), and the news is being received with its fair share of presumptions.
Diageo, the parent brand, has been categorical in stating that this is a bid to attract women drinkers into the whisky foray, though the figures aren’t that dismal, with 25 percent of whisky consumption being attributed to women, globally.
As an extension of the ‘Keep Walking’ campaign, it is only natural to expect women to walk along as well, though Ruchira Hoon, Bakery Partner and Chef at The Piano Man, and scotch aficionado goes on to say:
So I’m torn. A part of me finds it very sexist because now you’re segregating one whisky from the other. How does a whisky brand get to decide what women should drink? On the other hand, they must have seen a rise in women drinkers and thought this would be a good move. Point is: Whisky is for everyone. Why do you need to add a feminist angle to it?Ruchira Hoon
However, Amit Rekhi, Restauranteur and Partner at Music & Mountains Hillside Café, has an entirely different take on the matter and is quite enthused with the proposition of a whisky pitched at women.
In his experience, women tend to veer towards less peaty blends and single malts, even when it comes to cocktails, he goes to say:
In the last four years of running a bar, I’ve noticed ladies, who tend to order scotch or whisky in general, are very specific about the brands they prefer, and those are usually one or two considering the variety available to them, and some are very vocal about picking less ‘smoky’ variants, and if these aren’t available then they abstain from ordering any others, emphasising their loyalty to this particular spirit. So, a Jane Walker is more than welcome on the menu, provided the recipe has a differentiating factor that’s evident to a lady’s palate.Amit Rekhi, Restauranteur and Partner at Music & Mountains- Hillside Café
Though, this addresses a market that’s already converted to whisky, what about initiating a new audience? Will the striding man, Johnnie Walker be able to walk in tandem with Jane?
At a time when campaigns like #metoo and #timesup are gaining momentum, the 12-year-old black label blend, with a ‘striding woman’ icon on the label, is certainly going to draw a lot of conversation.
Choosing a month that hosts International Women’s Day also seems like a driven move, though there has been no information on how Jane Walker is truly different from Johnnie Walker, or is it?
Regardless of how the blend works, one can’t deny the benefits of whisky, albeit in moderation, with UK’s oldest woman, Grace Jones, attributing her longevity to a nightly dose of dram.
Research also shows that whisky lowers stress, which can be argued as a psychological factor, though the undeniable merits include antioxidant properties from the oak barrels, the blood thinning properties which aid in lowering the risk of strokes, the absence of fat content which helps manage weight, and as a digestion aid as well.
If the marketing campaign includes these elements, combined with a focus on a concentrated effort at engaging with a new strata of women as an audience, Jane may just make the cut!
(The story has been written by Parul is a chef and bartender at Music & Mountains Café in Delhi. She moonlights as a food and beverage writer. The views expressed above are of the author’s alone and The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for them. )
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