The Anthem release marks the continuation of Johnnie Walker's ongoing efforts to celebrate
firsts, and to fund and mentor people and organizations moving
culture forward
NEW
YORK, March 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today,
Johnnie Walker, the most popular
Scotch Whisky brand in the world, has announced the launch of First
Strides, a long-term initiative that aims to celebrate, inspire and
enable those people and organizations that are taking bold steps
towards progress, and pushing boundaries to move culture forward
for all.
Experience the interactive Multichannel News Release here:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/9019451-johnnie-walker-launches-the-first-strides-initiative-grant-program/
To kick off the program with a special nod to strides being made
for women's progress, Johnnie Walker
and partners at the National Women's Soccer League's LA-based Angel
City Football Club tapped five-time Grammy Award-winning artist
Brittany Howard and LA-based artist
Tia P. to create "Running with the Angels," the first original
anthem for a U.S. women's professional sports team and the official
anthem for the ACFC team. The song is an ode to the team's
trailblazing spirit, as the world's first majority women-founded,
owned and operated pro-soccer team, and will serve as a celebratory
anthem for the team and fans as they take the field for their first
season next month.
"This anthem is a celebration of women, of Angel City FC, of the
city of Los Angeles, and of
everyone around the country doing bold things to create positive
change in the world," said Brittany
Howard. "I'm proud to continue creating meaningful work with
Johnnie Walker that hopefully
inspires people to keep walking together towards a more equitable
future."
Along with the anthem release, Johnnie
Walker will enable more people to take bold steps towards
progress through a series of First Strides grants. Anyone 21+ can
apply for a First Stride grant but the brand will continue to
dedicate funding to communities where inequality exists. Through a
partnership with the go-to funding marketplace for women-owned
businesses IFundWomen, Johnnie
Walker will continue to support women entrepreneurs and fuel
women-owned businesses. The brand is also introducing a grants and
mentorship program with first-of-its-kind streaming service
Blacktag, who is changing the model for pay equity among Black
creators.
Particularly inspiring and impactful first strides will be
identified by the 'Walkers' – a diverse group of thought leaders
and cultural changemakers. This network includes powerhouse writer
and producer Kenya Barris, actor,
producer, and activist Sophia Bush,
and comedian and creator Lilly
Singh.
"Progress is the core of Johnnie
Walker's DNA, which is why we are committed to celebrating
and propelling the people and organizations taking bold steps to
move culture forward," said Sophie
Kelly, Senior Vice President of Whiskies at Diageo North
America. "Our partners at Angel City FC, IFundWomen and Blacktag
are doing just that - breaking the mold and creating more equity -
and we are proud to continue partnering with them and others to
fund and toast First Strides."
The Johnnie Walker First Strides initiative builds on the impact
of the brand's 'First Women' campaign, launched in 2020 to
celebrate the many women breaking glass ceilings to achieve
monumental firsts. The campaign also highlighted the brand's
ongoing support of constitutional equality for women via
partnership with the ERA Coalition, which continues today.
For more information on Johnnie Walker and to apply for a
First Strides grant, visit johnniewalker.com/en-us/firststrides. Be
sure to follow @JohnnieWalkerUS
on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.
About Johnnie Walker
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.
About Diageo North
America
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.
About Angel City Football
Club
Angel City Football Club (ACFC), the 11th member of the National
Women's Soccer League, will take the pitch in Spring 2022 and call
Banc of California Stadium in downtown Los Angeles their home. The team is founded by
Academy Award-winning actress and activist Natalie Portman, technology venture capitalist
Kara Nortman, media and gaming
entrepreneur Julie Uhrman, and Seven
Seven Six founder and former Executive Chair of Reddit,
Alexis Ohanian. Former England
Women's National Team forward Eniola
Aluko leads the team as Sporting Director, and Freya Coombe is the team's Head Coach. Learn
more about ACFC at www.angelcity.com and follow the team
on social media @weareangelcity.
About Blacktag
Blacktag is a global interactive platform modernizing how we
create and consume Black content. Blacktag mends the gap between
brands and Black creators by providing a dedicated environment that
delivers authentic Black subculture and alternative content to the
masses. Blacktag serves newer and alternative audiences with modern
branding and authentic content, while giving creators artistic and
economic power through a multi-tiered and monetizable platform.
About IFundWomen
IFundWomen is the go-to funding marketplace for women-owned
businesses and the people who want to support them with access to
capital, coaching, and connections. Its mission is to close the
funding gap for women-owned businesses.
It offers immediate access to capital through a premium online
fundraising experience, access to small business grants from
corporate partners, award-winning business coaching on all the
topics entrepreneurs need to know about, and a network of women
business owners that sparks confidence, accelerates knowledge and
ignites action.
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SOURCE Diageo North America