Johnnie Walker is introducing a “Jane Walker” spinoff, because apparently women and men can’t drink the same whiskey
Move over, Doritos — another product is trying to edge into the “women”-themed food and drink market. This week, liquor giant Diageo announced that Johnnie Walker scotch is launching a “Jane Walker” line, because how are women ever expected to drink something that features a man on the bottle? We are far too delicate for that, ladies. Cue eye roll.
On the surface, it’s kind of cool that the company is making bottles featuring a woman, but… the positives end there, especially when you hear the brand’s thoughts on the subject. According to Bloomberg, Johnnie WalkerVice President Stephanie Jacoby said the company is hoping that this will be a great way to celebrate women and “invite” them into the brand.
"Scotch as a category is seen as particularly intimidating by women," she said.
Intimidating? What’s intimidating is, oh, we don’t know… the pay gap? Sexual assault? Inequality that still exists between men and women in 2018? But yeah, as a sex we’re all totally afraid of scotch…
And of course, Johnnie Walker as a brand seems to think that this is a total women’s rights victory, as evidenced by this tweet from the brand’s official account:
Introducing Jane Walker, our new icon that celebrates progress in Women’s Rights. With every step, we all move forward. pic.twitter.com/1YP32odgJk
— Johnnie Walker (@JohnnieWalkerUS) February 26, 2018
As you probably predicted, people on Twitter are not pleased with this development. false
Sorry… exactly what progress has been made? Pay equality? Political Equality? Reproductive control? Hmmm…But thank GOD there’s a scotch with a lady on the bottle. Now I feel equal. Thanks.
— heather mcguigan (@HeatherMcguigan) February 27, 2018
It’s easy to understand where these critics are coming from. After all, it’s a little sexist to assume that women can’t drink or aren’t drinking a certain kind of liquor because it’s “too manly.” Some of us exclusively drink wine, some of us like beer, and some of us are totally into cocktails or just a straight-up glass of gin after a long day. And some of us don’t drink at all. But to be advertised to as if we need a woman on a bottle to be interested in a product? Yeah, that’s a bit much.
There are so many other ways to celebrate the progress women have made without using it to further a brand like Johnnie Walker. No thanks to all these lady-themed products that keep popping up lately — cute packaging just isn’t enough.
