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Johnnie Walker Blue marks Chinese New Year

Diageo has collaborated with designer Angel Chen to produce a limited edition Johnnie Walker Blue Label bottle for Chinese New Year.

Johnnie Walker
Blue Label is a blend of whisky sourced from across Scotland, including some dormant distilleries

Shanghai-based Chen has designed a new bottle for the blended Scotch brand to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit, which begins on 22 January 2023.

Chen commented: “There’s a defiant energy to my illustrations which bring to life the vibrant spirit of the rabbit as it leaps across the design, symbolising how we need to keep moving forward, spreading goodness throughout the year to come.”

The rabbit symbolises mercy, elegance and beauty, as well as longevity in traditional Asian culture.

Playing into the brand’s ‘Keep Walking’ motto and campaign, Chen has depicted prancing rabbits bounding among mountainous peaks.

Chen also said she sought inspiration for her designs from master blender Emma Walker.

She added: “My work is often inspired by different generations, different genders and cultures coming together to create something fresh and new. These ideals echo the craft of Johnnie Walker, taking different types of whisky from different distilleries, with differing ages of maturation and blending them together perfectly to create a masterpiece – that is something I can relate to.”

Johnnie Walker Blue Label is created in small batches and comprises whisky sourced from across Scotland, including some dormant ‘ghost’ distilleries.

Global brand director Julie Bramham added: “The energy and layers of colour that Angel brings to her designs are a visual interpretation of the incredible blending expertise that Emma Walker and her team use to create those perfectly balanced layers of flavour in Johnnie Walker Blue Label.

“We hope that the positivity symbolised by the rabbit will inspire people who receive this gift to greet the new year with the same optimism embodied in Angel’s designs. It is remarkable to see such a talented designer bring her skills from the world of fashion to create something so exciting for this exceptional Scotch.”

At the beginning of this year, the brand teamed up with artist Shan Jiang to release a limited edition Blue Label bottle for Chinese New Year.

In September, the fifth release in the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost and Rare limited edition Scotch whisky series was launched.

Diageo Global Travel Retail recently introduced a luxury gifting studio for the brand at Singapore Changi Airport for the festive season.

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