JOHNNIE WALKER COLLABORATES WITH STREETWEAR ARTIST VANDYTHEPINK AND PARTNER 88RISING TO RELEASE THE FIRST JOHNNIE WALKER BLUE LABEL BOTTLE AND NFT DESIGN INFLUENCED BY A COMMUNITY VOTE

A select amount of limited-edition bottles will be available exclusively on BlockBar.com and will unlock access to an immersive whisky experience curated by Vayner3 at SCOPE Miami Beach in December

MIAMI, Nov. 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- 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: https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9114351-johnnie-walker-88rising-limited-edition-blue-label-vandythepink/

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, December 1st. 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 December 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 BlockBar.com at 10AM ET on Tuesday, November 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."

Johnnie Walker is the world's number one Scotch Whisky brand, enjoyed by people in over 180 countries around the world. Since the time of its founder, John Walker, those who blend its whiskies have pursued flavor and quality above else.

Six generations of skilled Master Blenders have pioneered and crafted bold new flavors that have transformed a small Scottish grocery store business, founded in 1820, into an international whisky business selling stylish, authentic, and iconic blends.

Today's range of award-winning whiskies includes Johnnie Walker Red Label, Black Label, Double Black, Green Label, Johnnie Walker High Rye Blended Scotch Whisky, Gold Label Reserve, Aged 18 Years and Blue Label. Together they account for nearly 19 million cases sold annually (IWSR, 2019), making Johnnie Walker the most popular Scotch Whisky brand in the world.

Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of brands including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Bulleit and Buchanan's whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Casamigos, DeLeon and Don Julio tequilas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Tanqueray and Guinness.

Diageo is listed on both the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: DEO) and the London Stock Exchange (LSE: DGE) and their products are sold in more than 180 countries around the world.

For more information about Diageo, their people, brands, and performance, visit www.diageo.com. Visit Diageo's global responsible drinking resource, www.DRINKiQ.com, for information, initiatives, and ways to share best practice. Follow at Twitter and Instagram for news and information about Diageo North America: @Diageo_NA.

88rising is the pioneering global music & media company representing the best of Asian talent. 88rising was the first company to launch an Asian-centric music festival in the United States (Head in the Clouds Music & Arts Festival - now in its fourth year), the first to have an Asian artist top the Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop charts and Spotify's Weekly Global Albums chart, and the first to launch an all-Asian radio channel reaching all of North America. In 2021, 88rising executive produced and curated the soundtrack to Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings - Marvel Studios' first Asian-American superhero. In 2019, they were awarded Label of the Year by NetEase, one of the largest music streaming platforms in China. With over 160 million followers across global social media platforms and over 40 billion total streams and views, 88rising's global influence is undeniable.

VANDYTHEPINK, founded in 2017 by Junghoon Vandy Son, quickly made a name for himself through his unique customization that eventually expanded to a clothing line featuring his own take on streetwear. The name VANDYTHEPINK means light and hope, hoping to spread happiness and playfulness through his designs. To experience more flavor visit ONVANDYLAB.ORG and follow @VANDYTHEPINK on Instagram.

www.BlockBar.com
Founded in October 2021, BlockBar sells NFTs directly from luxury wines and spirits brands. Each NFT corresponds to an actual physical bottle, exclusive to BlockBar, available to purchase with ETH, credit card or wire transfer. Owners can resell, collect, gift, or at any point «burn» their NFT in exchange for the physical bottle, shipped from BlockBar's secure facility in Singapore with 24/7 security, motion sensors, and temperature control. BlockBar only partners directly with brand owners including LVMH, Diageo, Bacardi, Pernod Ricard, Sazerac, William Grant & Sons and more, and does not take collections from third parties or collectors. BlockBar is democratizing access to luxury wines and spirits allowing anyone, anywhere in the world to participate, whilst offering bottle owners storage, insurance and a marketplace to re-sell their bottles purchased on BlockBar's platform. BlockBar's proprietary smart contracts verify authenticity tracing every transaction directly back to the partnering brand, and its partnership with top cyber- and crypto-security firms ensures that transactions are fully protected and transparent.

Vayner3 is a consultancy under the umbrella of VaynerX exclusively focused on guiding the world's leading enterprises and intellectual property owners in the next iteration of consumer behavior, and navigating the ground-breaking and ever-evolving world of Web3. For more information, you can visit: www.vayner3.com.

*IWSR 2021

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SOURCE DIAGEO North America