In this episode of Adspeak by ADWEEK, chief brand and community officer Jenny Rooney sits down with Josh Dean, founder of brand consultancy Dean and Daughters and former global VP of Johnnie Walker at Diageo, to unpack how Johnnie Walker has remained culturally relevant for more than two centuries while attracting a new generation of consumers.
Josh explains how the iconic “Keep Walking” platform serves as a creative north star, enabling authentic collaborations across music, fashion, entertainment, and sports without diluting brand equity.
From partnerships with Squid Game and Olivier Rousteing to campaigns featuring Sabrina Carpenter, the conversation explores culture-first marketing, selective brand partnerships, and how legacy brands can balance heritage with innovation to drive long-term growth and consumer connection.
What you’ll learn:
- How to position heritage as momentum, not nostalgia
- The culture-first partnership framework
- Why the product should take a backseat in culture-driven campaigns
- How to turn cultural moments into commercial runways
- The role of internal alignment in executing ambitious collaborations
- How to turn down opportunities strategically
Josh brings over a decade of brand-building expertise from his tenure at Unilever and subsequent roles at Tommy John and S’well. Known for his strategic approach to brand culture and creative innovation, Josh specializes in driving long-term sustainable growth through purposeful storytelling and authentic partnerships.
Episode Highlights:
[02:15] Creativity as a Long-Term Brand Growth Engine — Josh explains that creativity should be viewed as a long-term growth driver rather than just an advertising tactic. While many companies prioritize short-term revenue goals, Johnnie Walker treats creativity as a strategic advantage that strengthens brand distinctiveness, loyalty, and pricing power over time. This mindset enables bold cultural partnerships that attract new audiences without weakening brand equity. For CMOs, the key lesson is to position creativity internally as a business investment that compounds value and supports sustainable growth.
[07:48] Culture-First Strategy: Collaborate, Don’t Borrow — Josh shares that brands succeed in culture when they collaborate authentically with culture creators instead of chasing trends. Johnnie Walker evaluates every partnership against its “Keep Walking” North Star to ensure alignment with themes of progress and reinvention. The Sabrina Carpenter collaboration worked because her personal evolution reflected the brand’s ethos naturally. Dean argues that brands should focus on shared values and mutual authenticity, helping partnerships feel credible, resonate with audiences, and avoid the disconnect that often comes from trend-driven marketing.
[09:22] Prioritize Brand Meaning Over Product Display — Josh explains that Johnnie Walker intentionally keeps the product secondary in many cultural campaigns, focusing instead on building emotional meaning around the brand. Rather than centering advertising on the bottle itself, the brand creates narratives tied to progress, creativity, and cultural relevance. In the Squid Game collaboration, collectible bottles became symbols of the cultural moment instead of overt sales tools. The approach gives the brand flexibility across campaigns while strengthening differentiation, long-term relevance, and deeper emotional consumer connections.
