Johnnie Walker recently unveiled the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Lunar New Year Limited Edition Design, a collab with Taiwanese-American visual artist James Jean, at a star-studded regional launch held at Johnnie Walker’s Depth of Blue Room on the 35th Floor of Park Hyatt Bangkok.
The night saw celebrities from Vietnam, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand in attendance, including Ishikawa "Luke" Plowden, Thiti "Bank" Mahayotaruk, Chonlathorn "Captain" Kongyingyong, Yoyo Cao, Janice Wong and Bea Soriano-Dee. Eclectic DJ sets by Rabbitdisco were set against a backdrop of live electric violin.
The vivid design for the Year of the Dragon was revealed, featuring a dynamic interpretation of 2024’s zodiac animal, the Wood Dragon. Regarded by many as the mightiest of all zodiac animals, the dragon symbolises life and creativity, as well as a portent of future prosperity in traditional Asian culture, similar to Johnnie Walker's famous slogan 'Keep Walking'. In Jean’s layered visuals, the evergreen Wood Dragon springs from bountiful flora and fauna and bursts to life with auspicious ambition.
"Many consider the dragon the most powerful animal in the Chinese Zodiac and the Wood Dragon felt remarkably close to me because of the natural elements prevalent in my work,” says Jean.
Born in Taipei and raised in New Jersey, Jean, New York's School of Visual Arts alumnus, says: ‘With Johnnie Walker Blue Label Lunar New Year, we wanted to create a dragon that felt different, new and innovative — respect for the past but also looking into the future with optimism; in the same way that Johnnie Walker stands for progress through that incredible Keep Walking spirit.’
Recently Jean worked with Hollywood directors on posters for several award-winning high-profile films such as The Whale and Everything Everywhere All At Once. Known for his ability to cross different genres with an imaginative and multifaceted approach to image making, Jean fuses contemporary subjects with aesthetic techniques inspired by traditional Chinese scroll paintings, Japanese woodblock prints and Renaissance portraiture.
The Depth of Blue Room is Johnnie Walker Blue Label’s first-ever flagship bar in the world in partnership with Park Hyatt Hotels, and invites guests on a multi-sensorial experience of the world of Blue Label, all while enjoying sweeping views of Bangkok’s skyline. It also features an intimate immersive room where a guided tasting of Blue Label is conducted by Johnnie Walker’s brand ambassadors, allowing guests to discover the rich and complex layers of flavour in this Scotch whisky masterpiece.
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Lunar New Year Limited Edition is now available at leading retail outlets. Moreover, the Depth of Blue Room has been decorated in the spirit of the noble Wood Dragon to celebrate the 2024 Lunar New Year with extravagant designs and elements. The special decorations will be up until Feb 28.
