On Strategy Showcase: On the Spot – Burberry & Johnnie Walker

Host: Fergus O’Carroll
Panel: Brendan Volpe (Universal McCann), Kate Rushehy (GSD&M), Matthew Herbert (Tracksuit), Andrew Tindall (System One)
Date: January 25, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the recent marketing strategies of two iconic brands—Burberry and Johnnie Walker. Host Fergus O'Carroll and a multidisciplinary panel of top strategists dissect each brand’s latest campaigns, discuss the business challenges faced, and reflect on what makes for truly effective brand-building in a rapidly shifting cultural landscape.

The conversation covers:

• Burberry’s effort to reclaim luxury status and relevance with its Olivia Colman campaign,
• Johnnie Walker’s attempts to refresh its “Keep Walking” platform amid category decline,
• The struggle for legacy brands to balance heritage with modernity,
• The broader question: How do established brands stay aspirational and avoid becoming diluted as they reach into popular culture?

Key Discussion Points and Insights

A. Burberry: Rekindling British Luxury

1. Business Challenge and Brand Repositioning

• Situation: Post-pandemic, most luxury brands rebounded; Burberry did not. Sales were down, layoffs happened, and a new CEO was brought in to refocus.

• Core Strategies (08:21):

  • Double down on iconic products (the trench coat, classic check).
  • Reassert “timeless British luxury.”
  • Carve out a distinctive, modern-yet-heritage path.

  Quote:

  • "Making sure that positioning is clear, carving out a distinctive path for Burberry. And that's what I think this work does really well… It focuses on the iconic trench to make sure people know the signature product Burberry is known for. And secondly, I mean, it is quintessentially British." —Kate Rushehy [09:16]

2. Cultural Demotion and the “Chav” Factor

• Burberry’s cachet suffered when it became associated with “chav” culture (UK slang for lower-class youth perceived as brash).*

• The “wrong consumer segment” adopting the brand eroded its upscale image.

• The rise of fakes and “dupes” further complicates the luxury branding challenge.

  Quote:

  • "They got the wrong consumer segment starting to wear those clothes and that premiumness was kind of eroded." —Andrew Tindall [11:24]

3. Luxury Category Softening & Brand Health

• Across the UK, luxury brands’ preferences are generally declining, but Burberry is “holding more stable” than most—behind Prada and Hermès.

• Burberry’s preference among active luxury consumers is around 15%, putting it in fourth place.

  Quote:

  • “Preference for Burberry in the UK is at 15%. And that's in the fourth position of some of the designer brands that we're looking at…” —Matthew Herbert [14:12]

4. Campaign Critique: Olivia Colman Work

• The recent campaign uses Olivia Colman in a series of vignettes set in various “very British” settings (chip shop, museum, countryside).

• Branding is minimal—so subtle that “if you know, you know.”

• The campaign’s understanding and resonance may be strongest among those already familiar with British culture.

  Quote:

  • “Because the branding is so minimal, it feels like, if you know, you know. It’s for somebody who already will recognize the signpost of the trench.” —Kate Rushehy [16:30]

5. Effectiveness Metrics & Emotional Impact

• System1 testing finds the campaign struggles to drive emotional engagement:

  • “None of the ads really get above one star in our test. Wow. So they really struggle to inspire an emotion.” —Andrew Tindall [21:26]
  • Branding scores low—less than 20% brand recognition in tests.

• Debate over whether the ads should target new potential buyers versus reinforcing loyalty among existing customers.

  Quote:

  • “Category leaders must grow their brand through new penetration of new customers. You shouldn’t be advertising to past buyers.” —Andrew Tindall [22:26]

6. Panel Recommendations

• Make Burberry’s assets more distinctive and the brand logo more visible (“Make the logo bigger!”).
• Campaign consistency and showmanship are strong, but distinctiveness is lacking.
• Loved for entertainment, whimsy, and “everydayness,” but could do more to bring in new consumers.

B. Johnnie Walker: Progress, Modernity, and Category Decline

1. Business Context and Branding Challenge

• Facing a declining spirits category, particularly among 21–34-year-olds.

• Perception as “dusty,” old-fashioned, and overly masculine/scotch-centric.

• Tequila & canned cocktails are growing, eroding whiskey’s cool-factor and share.

  Quote:

  • “When I thought about this spot and reflected on it, I think there’s some pretty obvious problems, right?… Scotch feels old. Like Scotch feels old. It feels like an old man drink.” —Brendan Volpe [31:37]

2. “Keep Walking” Platform Evolution

• Historically built on collective progress and Scottish heritage (e.g. Robert Carlyle's 2009 “Man Who Walked Around the World” film).

• Now shifting to stories of individual resilience (“Keep dreaming, keep playing, keep searching” etc.).

• The “progress” platform, once distinctive, is now being copied across the spirits category, diluting Johnnie Walker’s differentiation.

  Quote:

  • “The issue is the category has all fallen for the same strategy that Brendan was just sharing around. Scotch and whiskey is dusty. So what are we going to do? We're going to go for progress. So you see that in Glenfiddich...and everyone starts to have a really close positioning, which is unfortunate.” —Andrew Tindall [33:02]

3. Emotional and Distinctive Impact

• Recent Johnnie Walker campaigns are seen as consistent but less emotionally engaging than earlier epic, story-driven work.

• Vignette-style executions lack the memorable storytelling that once set the brand apart.

  Quote:

  • “What I yearn for is just someone on the brand to pick one story that captures what Keep Walking means globally in 2026 and tell that person's story, which will be really right brained, capture broad attention.” —Andrew Tindall [38:50]

4. Category vs. Brand-Level Strategy

• Johnnie Walker faces a dilemma: focus on strengthening its own distinctiveness, or invest in reviving the entire whiskey category for younger consumers?

  Quote:

  • "If whiskey and alcohol is in a challenged position then as leaders don't they have to play to the category and make the category more appealing? And I'm not sure that the... strategy here focuses on like strengthening the category as much as it is strengthening the brand." —Brendan Volpe [41:01]

5. Panel Recommendations

• Return to epic, emotionally resonant storytelling—single, memorable “hero” pieces rather than rushed vignettes (“Give me one story. Give it to me consistently. Let me remember it.” —Matthew Herbert [47:19])
• Continue leveraging distinct assets, but deepen emotional connection and category relevance for Gen Z and younger drinkers.
• Embrace Scottish heritage as a unique differentiator rather than watering it down to be generically “global.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Burberry’s Rebound:

  • “They got the wrong consumer segment starting to wear those clothes and that premiumness was kind of eroded.” —Andrew Tindall [11:24]
  • "It feels like there's an everydayness... that make it feel very contemporary and accessible, which I think is important to grow with new people." —Kate Rushehy [26:00]

• On Distinctive Branding:

  • “Just let us know who you are and let us in on it. That’s it…Just make the logo bigger.” —Brendan Volpe [44:25]

• On Whisky Category Shift:

  • “The biggest trend in spirits is the move to canned cocktails and tequila in particular...You think about Scotch and...I think Ron Burgundy, Scotchy, Scotch, old man, like, you know, a certain connotation.” —Kate Rushehy [32:26]

• On “Keep Walking” as a Universal Platform:

  • "This is an iconic campaign that has built billions of pounds of category value. And it’s carried Diageo through the centuries. Everyone else working on this brand should be considered a legend." —Andrew Tindall [34:12]

• On Storytelling Potential:

  • "What I yearn for is just someone on the brand to pick one story that captures what Keep Walking means globally in 2026 and tell that person's story..." —Andrew Tindall [38:50]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [08:21] Burberry Business Problem & Refocusing on Core Products
• [11:24] Brand Image Erosion – “Chav” Association
• [14:12] Burberry Health in Context of the UK Luxury Market
• [16:30–18:34] Olivia Colman Campaign Analysis (“If you know, you know”)
• [21:26] Campaign Testing: Emotional Impact & Branding Scores
• [30:12–32:26] Johnnie Walker: Heritage, “Keep Walking” Platform, Cultural Challenge
• [33:02] Spirits Category’s Convergence on “Progress”
• [38:50] Need for a Single, Epic Storytelling Approach
• [41:01] Strategy Dilemma: Brand vs. Category Building
• [44:15–47:19] Panel’s Final Advice for both Brands

Final Takeaways & Advice for Both Brands

Burberry

• Broaden its signals—be more explicit with branding while maintaining the nuanced, contemporary British vibe.
• Capitalize on campaign consistency and showmanship but enhance distinctiveness so new consumers “get it.”
• Consider the risk of subtlety excluding new audiences—“Let us in on the secret!”

Johnnie Walker

• Bring back epic, emotionally powerful storytelling that stands out and resonates widely.
• Focus on building the whiskey category for younger drinkers, not just defending brand share.
• Embrace and modernize Scottish heritage as an ownable asset.
• Make the “Keep Walking” platform personal, relevant, and specific—not just a series of catchphrases.

Closing Thoughts

This lively panel offers both a reality check and valuable optimism: heritage brands can (and should) lead by boldly reimagining what progress, aspiration, and cultural leadership look like—without losing sight of who they are or whom they're for. Consistency, distinctiveness, and human stories remain the strategy north stars, whether you're making coats or whisky.