Unlocking the Magic: A Peek Behind Johnnie Walker x GQ Men of the Year 2023 Collaboration
Last December, Johnnie Walker Blue Label (JW Blue) swept social media across China as the sponsor of GQ China Men of the Year (MOTY) 2023. Leveraging the massive impressions generated from the GQ MOTY event, the campaign achieved over one billion impressions with outstanding performance from the e-Commerce (EC) team.
Behind these remarkable achievements lies the dynamic collaboration of two teams - the Johnnie Walker Blue Label team and the e-Commerce team in China. Get ready to dive into the enchanting collaboration where Wendy Liu, Assistant Brand Manager at JW Blue, and Ashy Wang, eCommerce Senior Customer Marketing Manager, share the excitement and achievements behind the scenes.
What's the most exciting part of your role at Diageo?
Ashy: Working in e-Commerce is a thrilling journey where I get to promote our brands in innovative ways, navigating the dynamic landscape of China’s e-Commerce space. Collaborating with passionate peers and leaders to continuously achieve record results for JW is truly motivating.
Wendy: In the Greater China Marketing team, I see myself as an ambitious team player and a passionate brand advocate. The most exciting aspect is feeling the power of connection – connecting the brand with consumers, aligning the local marketing team, and fostering cross-function teamwork fuelling our shared goals.
We value growth in three dimensions: business, brand preference and team capabilities throughout time. While wanting to build an impressive brand, we also want to build brand equity in the long run with a solid foundation, improve sales performance for the business, and develop our personal and professional skillsets.
(Wendy Liu, the 4th from the left; Ashy Wang, the 1st from the right)
Tell us more about the JW X GQ MOTY 2023 collaboration. How did it come about?
Wendy: The collaboration spanned two days, featuring events hosted by JW, such as the Blue Table dining experience and Tmall Livestream, as well as sponsoring the GQ Lounge, MOTY Red Carpet, and Gala Dinner Awarding Ceremony.
Ashy: Alongside our events marketing, the EC team maximized impact through captivating livestreams, introducing celebrities and influencers, and launching JW Blue Chinese New Year limited edition. The combination of these efforts was the driving force behind an efficient marketing strategy.
What have you loved the most during the work you have done across the project?
Wendy: The initial challenge of securing partnerships and negotiating with internal and external stakeholders was both challenging and fascinating. We first identified a clear objective - to build Johnnie Walker as the luxury icon in Greater China. After that, the team selected the right partner, GQ, to sponsor MOTY - known as one of the most creative, innovative cultural events given its popularity in the region. The timing of the event was also a huge benefit to our campaign, aligning with Chinese New Year, our peak festive season, we were able to drive interest and engagement as consumers across the region celebrated.
This collaboration was truly eye-opening for me, as it showcased the power of agility, reaching our goals with limited time and resource. It was essential for us to identify a valuable opportunity, make sure we had the right resources, and work as one united team to pull off this ambitious campaign.
Ashy: I love that we fully integrated the grand brand event across multiple channels, especially leveraging e-Commerce tactics for direct-to-consumer communication. This partnership and collaboration with the marketing team, roved that the team can also support our branding goals of ‘building our brand as a luxury icon’, as well as achieving the business ambition. Being part of a perfect partnership, driving the future of premium drinks-through e-commerce leaves me feeling happy and proud.
How does it feel to have the opportunity to innovate and collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver this project?
Ashy: The collaboration really involved so many stakeholder groups, including external third parties like TMALL, GQ, and different agencies responsible for live streaming, offline events, and PR. I can’t remember how many times the marketing team and the EC team had to balance and negotiate to deliver the best commercial outcome for the campaign. Tough at times, but highly rewarding in the end. It’s in these moments we’re able to push our boundaries and grow together.
Wendy: The nature of marketing is the delivery of value, which includes: the brand’s value, and also the business’s value. We’re always thinking about the close-looped consumer journey, how can we best leverage the huge traffic from marketing campaigns and really help to contribute commercial conversion. This is a great case from China with a powerful and solid e-commerce foundation, two teams collaborated effectively to achieve the “one plus one equals more than two” outcome.
Embark on this journey where efficiency meets magic, and witness the dynamic synergy that makes Johnnie Walker an icon of luxury in China.
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