MANILA – The first and only Filipino mountaineer who attained the “Seven Summits” record and one of the country’s up-and-coming rock heroines will be the face of Johnnie Walker here in Philippines for its largest global marketing campaign to date.
Titled “Joy Will Take You Further”, it is the evolution of “Keep Walking”, the brand’s philosophy for more than 15 years, to champion joy as essential to meaningful progress.
“People sometimes think of happiness as a far-off, distant prize only to be won by their years of hard work or when they achieve conventional markers of success, like a higher income or a bigger house.” But there is a growing body of evidence that enjoying happiness along the way makes success more likely,” said Dr. Matt Killingsworth, a US-based psychologist and scientist who studies human happiness that have been tapped as a consultant for the campaign.
Developed with the brand’s global creative agency, Anomaly, the campaign will be launched simultaneously in more than 50 countries, with Mountaineer Romi Garduce and musician, actress, and blogger Saab Magalona as local ambassadors.
Garduce is also the Philippines’s first global ambassador for Johnnie Walker, notably featured in the global campaign for climbing the highest peak on each continent.
He joins a roster of 8 global influencers from the worlds of sport and entertainment such as Formula One world champion and McLaren Honda driver Jenson Button, Oscar-nominated actor Jude Law, US rock band OK Go, and electric car pioneer and racer Eva Hakansson.
Also joining them are Mexican supermodel Montserrat Oliver, world-class bartender Emil Areng, Diageo’s Master Blender Jim Beveridge and Rio De Janeiro-based muralists Haas & Hahn.
Meanwhile, Saab Magalona, is a prominent figure in the local indie music scene as lead vocalist for Cheats. He comes from a family of great musical talent as the daughter of hip hop godfather Francis Magalona.
Commenting on the launch, Diageo Philippines general manager Jon Good, said: “As a brand, Johnnie Walker has always stood for progress. What two centuries if experience taught us is that progress doesn’t have to be an endless uphill journey.”
“We can enjoy the steps we take and the more happiness we find in them, the more likely we are able to achieve our goal. Evidence is confirming a conviction that sits at the heart of our brand: Joy Will Take You Further,” he adds.
