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Johnnie Walker

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With the Global Travel Retail channel becoming such an important testing ground for new innovative expressions, have brown spirits brand owners found the perfect launch pad for NPD, or are they slowly but surely confusing consumers with mixed messages? Neil Ridley checks in for a nose around.

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Is gender becoming an all-consuming issue in whisky? just-drinks' brown spirits commentator, Neil Ridley, certainly hopes not.

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In late-January, Diageo announced results for the first half of its fiscal-2018. Here, just-drinks takes a closer look at the group's sales performance by region in the six months to the end of December. All figures are on an organic basis.

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Following on from just-drinks' analysis of Diageo's performance over the last five years, spirits commentator Richard Woodard considers the takeaways for the wider spirits industry.

Earlier today, Diageo announced plans to invest GBP35m (US$46m) in reopening two of its Scotch whisky distilleries that have been closed for 34 years. Work is set to begin on the Port Ellen and Brora sites - Port Ellen still houses a maltings unit, while Brora is next to Diageo's Clynelish distillery - in the coming months, ahead of becoming operational by 2020. Shortly after the announcement, just-drinks spoke to the group's head of whisky outreach, Nick Morgan, about the news.

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In July, Diageo turned its previously-combined Middle East & Global Travel Retail division into a standalone GTR unit. At the same time, TR head Doug Bagley stood down and was replaced by Dayalan Nayager, Bagley's European TR regional leader. Last month, at the Tax Free World Association exhibition in Cannes, just-drinks caught up with Nayager to find out how the new structure was working, as well as his thoughts on the overall state of the GTR channel.

Diageo-owned Scotch whisky brand Johnnie Walker is opening a new retail store in central Madrid next month, offering whisky sales and a range of "immersive" experiences.

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Diageo has released the second in a series of special edition Johnnie Walker Blue Label whiskies.

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Diageo has launched a new promotional video designed to offer people a behind-the-scenes look at the heritage and making of its leading blended Scotch whisky brand, Johnnie Walker.

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Diageo is adding a limited-edition expression of Johnnie Walker to its Global Travel Retail operations.

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Diageo is piloting a new whisky website for its Johnnie Walker brand that allows consumers to buy a personalised bottle to match their own flavour preferences.

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Diageo has confirmed plans to launch a special edition Johnnie Walker whisky in a tie up with HBO series Game of Thrones.

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Diageo has lined up a sizeable investment in the Scotch whisky tourism sector, but has admitted it is yet to find a location for a new visitor centre for Johnnie Walker.

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Diageo is to overhaul Johnnie Walker Black Label in Australia as it rolls out a AUD15m (US$11.6m) campaign for the blended Scotch brand.

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Diageo is to revamp its Johnnie Walker presence in the Global Travel Retail channel with a new store design.

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Diageo has released details of a limited edition run of Johnnie Walker Black Label in the US under the name The Jane Walker.

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Diageo has refused to be drawn on reports that the company, which makes the Johnnie Walker blended Scotch whisky brand, is planning a product under the 'Jane Walker' name. 

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Diageo has launched the next expression in the Blenders’ Batch range from Johnnie Walker.

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Diageo has teamed up with vloggers and other social media personalities to push its global responsible drinking message of less but better.

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Diageo has set a new goal for its Johnnie Walker #JoinThePact responsible drinking activation, as it looks to get 50m consumers to pledge never to drink and drive.

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Diageo has launched a range of special edition packs for its Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky brand, in collaboration street artist Tristan Eaton. 

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Diageo's Global Travel Retail division has opened a Johnnie Walker store at Miami International airport. 

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Diageo’s Reserve division has released details of a new range of blended Scotch whiskies under the Johnnie Walker umbrella, all of which will include liquid from at least one distillery each that is no longer in operation.

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Diageo has lined up a limited edition iteration of its Johnnie Walker blended Scotch powerhouse, developed in a collaboration between Blade Runner 2049 director Denis Villeneuve and the brand's master blender, Jim Beveridge.

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Diageo has added to its Blenders' Batch experimental Johnnie Walker range with three new expressions.

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Diageo has rolled out an anti-drink drive campaign for the ninth year, as it marks continued sponsorship of Formula One under the Johnnie Walker Scotch whisky brand.

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Diageo is challenging a near-US$140m demand from the UK tax authority relating to the alleged transferral of intellectual property away from the country.

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Diageo has returned the focus of its global marketing for Johnnie Walker to the 'Keep Walking' slogan and has retired the brand's 'Joy Will Take You Further' message, less than two years after launching it.

just-drinks is in Cannes this week the Tax Free World Association show. Here's the second part of Andy Morton's blog, which will keep you up-to-date at one of the most important dates in the Travel Retail calendar.