Joining the ranks of brands putting customers at the heart of the creative process, Scottish whiskey brand Johnnie Walker is launching My Edition. The innovation enables whiskey lovers to tailor the blend, bottle, and packaging to their individual taste, for a customised, luxury tipple. We explore the insights behind the campaign, and how luxury has become synonymous with a personal touch.
With the help of whiskey lovers, Johnnie Walker is launching My Edition via crowdfunding platform Indiegogo. Designed by global innovation, strategy and design firm Fahrenheit 212, the project will enable whiskey aficionados to create their own Johnnie Walker whiskey, tailored to match their personal taste profile, topped off by a personalised bottle. “It's a blended whisky crafted just for you,” reads the Indiegogo campaign, "matching your personal flavour preferences, in a beautiful bottle that you've personalised, delivered straight to your door."
With logo fatigue growing to be a serious concern, luxury brands are trying to lure back affluent shoppers by getting personal. "The luxury consumer is tired," says retail consultant David Bush. "Tired of the same, they are seeking more personal experiences. They're seeking brands that replicate their personal values, brands that are thoughtful and considerate of their individual needs and desires."
And for luxury shoppers, being considerate of individual needs means recognising that preference differs from person to person. So whether it’s customising every detail of your watch or having a hand in the design of your own Gucci bag, brands are encouraging their discerning customers to take creative control. A fifth of Britons are willing to pay a 20% premium for personalised goods, so by putting customers at the heart of their creative process, Johnnie Walker's experiments with hyper-personalisation not only gives people a peek into a craft historically reserved for master blenders, but will also strike a chord with Gen Yers – two-thirds of whom will abandon a brand if it doesn't fit with their identity.
Alex Rückheim is a behavioural analyst at Canvas8, which specialises in behavioural insights and consumer research, and who has worked on behaviour change projects with global clients including Samsung, the UK Government, Red Bull, AKQA and OMD. With a background in Strategic Marketing, he is also special lecturer at the University of the Arts London, and curator of design-focused site GOODS WE LIKE.
