John Walker & Sons Voyager sets sail in September
London, Thursday 20 September 2012: The world’s leading luxury whisky house, JOHN WALKER & SONS, today announced the launch of a game changing experience for the most progressive individuals in Asia Pacific – JOHN WALKER & SONS VOYAGER – which will immerse luxury consumers in a world of quality craftsmanship, heritage and modern innovation, and launch the new triple malt JOHN WALKER & SONS ODYSSEY.
John Walker & Sons Voyager is a literal reproduction of an epic journey, which evokes the nautical and game-changing heritage of John Walker & Sons. Setting sail from Shanghai in September, the luxury yacht will journey through Asia Pacific, docking at nine key ports of call and capturing the essence of a true odyssey.
James Thompson, Chief Marketing Officer, DIAGEO Asia Pacific, says Voyager is a tribute to the history of John Walker & Sons and a celebration of the game changers of today.
“Many people don’t realise that the John Walker & Sons business was one of the first modern-day companies to trade internationally. Without the help of technology such as phone, fax and obviously email, the Walkers completely transformed the industry when they engaged ship captains to act as brand ambassadors and take John Walker & Sons whisky from their corner store in Scotland to the four corners of the modern world – this took vision, pioneering spirit and a lot of courage.
“In 2012, we celebrate this vision and entrepreneurial spirit, and pay tribute to three generations of game-changing gentlemen and the remarkable blends they inspired. John Walker & Sons Voyager is also an opportunity for us to celebrate the current game changers in Asia Pacific who are achieving progress for themselves and the world around them,” said Mr Thompson.
Over six months, the John Walker & Sons Voyager will travel to China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore and India on a journey which was inspired by the original trade routes pioneered when the Walker family whiskies left the corner store in Scotland and journeyed across the world.
At each port, Voyager will be the setting for a series of iconic events through which the most progressive individuals in Asia Pacific will be invited aboard to experience the pinnacle in luxury craftsmanship and celebrate the launch of Odyssey.
This once-in-a-lifetime experience and series of celebratory events were inspired by the launch of a new blend, John Walker & Sons ODYSSEY which commemorates one of Sir Alexander Walker’s greatest innovations – the creation of a remarkable decanter for use on luxury cruise liners which moved to match the motion of the sea.
“I searched a number of distilleries in Scotland for the perfect three whiskies to blend for John Walker & Sons Odyssey. They needed to have the right provenance and pedigree to create the aromas, tastes, flavours and sensations that Sir Alexander was looking for when he created the original blend almost 100 years ago,” said Mr Jim Beveridge, Master Blender.
“Our goal is for John Walker & Sons Voyager to be the ultimate luxury experience for premium spirit connoisseurs in this region – if not the world. To ensure we deliver on this, we have partnered with global leaders and innovators in beverage service, culinary creation, design and entertainment to develop a highly customised programme that spans large-scale parties to intimate conversation opportunities.
Through these partnerships, we hope to offer our consumers once-in-a-lifetime experiences and opportunities that reflect their status, discernment and success,” said Mr Thompson.
As the boat journeys through Asia Pacific, leading authors, photographers and illustrators from around the region will capture the progress of each port-of-call from the Golden Era till present day, recreating one of the first luxury travel guides written – Around the World. First commissioned by the House of Walker almost 100 years ago, the guide was developed with the assistance of John Walker & Sons in-market distributers who each contributed a chapter on their country.
For More Information:
Cleo Smeeth
Head of Brand Communications, Asia Pacific
Diageo
cleo.smeeth@diageo.com / +65 9818 6156
Editors Notes:
ABOUT DIAGEO
Diageo is the world's leading premium drinks business with an outstanding collection of beverage alcohol brands across spirits, beer and wine. These brands include Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, JεB, Windsor, Buchanan’s and Bushmills whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Baileys, Captain Morgan, Jose Cuervo, Tanqueray and Guinness.
Diageo is a global company, with its products sold in more than 180 countries around the world. The company is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (DGE). For more information about Diageo, its people, brands, and performance, visit us at Diageo.com. For our global resource that promotes responsible drinking through the sharing of best practice tools, information and initiatives, visit DRINKiQ.com.
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JOHN WALKER & SONS, JOHN WALKER & SONS ODYSSEY words and associated logos are trademarks. ©JOHN WALKER & SONS 2012.
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