Johnnie Walker Collaborates with Streetwear Artist VANDYTHEPINK and Partner 88Rising
In celebration of a world-renowned cultural moment for the arts taking place in Miami, FL, Johnnie Walker, the world’s number one Scotch Whisky* and 88rising, the pioneering music and arts collective, invite spirits and art collectors the opportunity to impact a limited edition Johnnie Walker Blue Label designed by Junghoon Vandy Son, known as VANDYTHEPINK. Experience the full interactive Multichannel News Release here.
Through a first-of-its-kind collaboration with BlockBar, the world’s first direct to consumer NFT marketplace for luxury wine and spirits and the Web3 consultancy Vayner3 – the NFT holders will have the opportunity to take part in a token-gated voting experience, giving holders the ability to inspire VANDYTHEPINK’s final design of the physical bottle. This will be the first time artwork by VANDYTHEPINK will debut in Web3 and the first time BlockBar will host a community-impacted release where NFT holders will vote on artwork to be featured on the bottle.
VANDYTHEPINK is a highly celebrated streetwear designer known for his progressive and playful take on icons derived from pop culture around the world. With Johnnie Walker Blue Label as his canvas, VANDYTHEPINK created a series of iconographies and colorways in collaboration with Johnnie Walker and 88rising that holders will rank upon purchase of the NFT. Taking inspiration from his culture and personal experiences, VANDYTHEPINK focused on thematics of progress, harmony, balance, beauty and quality. He found beautiful synergies in these qualities in the craftsmanship of Johnnie Walker Blue Label and the community built around 88rising to conceptualize the artwork for this bottle release.
“Johnnie Walker Blue Label has become a recognized symbol of prestige and I am excited to imprint my artistic vision on one of the most iconic blended Scotch Whiskies in the world,” said Junghoon Vandy Son, founder of VANDYTHEPINK. “Inspired by the complex harmony and depth of character, I wanted my artwork to be emblematic of the balance within the bottle while representing the communities Johnnie Walker and 88rising bring together.”
By purchasing the NFT on BlockBar.com, holders will also have VIP access to attend ‘V’ curated by Vayner3 at SCOPE Miami Beach on Friday, Dec. 1. NFT holders will have the opportunity to meet VANDYTHEPINK, vote on the final bottle artwork and receive a signed, serial numbered commemorative piece of artwork while enjoying an elevated Johnnie Walker Blue Label tasting experience.
“I’m incredibly excited to see where the design of this Johnnie Walker Blue Label collaboration with VANDYTHEPINK ends up,” said Sophie Kelly, Senior Vice President of Whiskies, DIAGEO North America. “We are thrilled to be pushing boundaries in Web3 as this is a first of its kind creator collaboration with an NFT marketplace, ultimately allowing the BlockBar community to play with unique VANDYTHEPINK icons to co-create a one-of-a-kind Johnnie Walker Blue Label bottle with us.”
After Dec. 1, the Johnnie Walker Blue Label NFT will update to reflect the community voted on artwork and become the design on the VANDYTHEPINK edition Johnnie Walker Blue Label bottles. The physical bottles once created will be held securely by BlockBar with a record of authenticity held on the blockchain as a digital certificate of ownership until the NFT is redeemed.
The VANDYTHEPINK x Johnnie Walker Blue Label limited edition release will drop publicly on Block Bar at 10AM ET on Tuesday, Nov. 22. BlockBar’s Johnnie Walker token holders, Johnnie Walker POAP holders and select Web3 community members will have early access to purchase this release beginning 24 hours before the public sale. The NFT priced at $355 USD (approx. 0.30 ETH) may be purchased by individuals who are over the legal drinking age in their respective jurisdictions from BlockBar.com with ETH or credit card. At 10AM, the first users to reserve the bottle will then have 10 minutes to checkout. Users who successfully check out will receive an NFT (digital version) representing a proof of authenticity and ownership of the physical bottle, which is stored with BlockBar until the bottle owner is ready to “burn” the NFT to redeem. Bottle owners can gift or resell this NFT on the BlockBar.com marketplace.
“We’re thrilled to partner with Johhnie Walker for the fourth time with this special release. This is the first time we are bringing a unique voting mechanic to the purchase experience, and we think the BlockBar community will be incredibly excited and engaged,” said Dov Falic, BlockBar co-founder & CEO. “We’re honored to have VANDYTHEPINK lend his iconic artistry to conceptualize this release which will be unique to the bottle owners who purchase the Johnnie Walker Blue Label NFT.”
The brand’s collaborations with BlockBar are a part of an ongoing partnership with Johnnie Walker and Vayner3, the Web3 consultancy under the umbrella VaynerX, founded by serial entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk. The collective efforts seek to offer consumers in Web3 unique and premium experiences for NFT and spirits collectors alike. “After the successful launch of the VeeFriends collaboration and the launch of Johnnie Walker Ghost and Rare Master Set and NFT on BlockBar.com, we are excited by the momentum Johnnie Walker has created throughout the past year,” said Avery Akkineni, President of Vayner3. “We look forward to continuing our partnership and bringing innovative new experiences to consumers in Web3 and the Johnnie Walker community.”