Johnnie Walker Recruits Renowned Cover Artist For Year of the Snake Blue Label Scotch Bottling

(Photo: Diageo)

On Thursday, Johnnie Walker Scotch raised a glass to the Lunar New Year in collaboration with James Jean, a prolific visual artist who has wound his twist on the iconography of the Year of the Snake.

Motifs of wisdom, intelligence and intuition take center stage. The distiller’s Blue Label expression has been reimagined with a trio of snakes wound around blooming flowers and shed skin, intended as symbols of self-reinvention and an auspicious new year. It’s all decidedly on the nose for a brand whose iconic logo depicts a man striding into the future.

Jean, born in Taipei, Taiwan, before moving to New Jersey in his youth, drew upon a depth of career knowledge to bring the collaboration to life.  The artist got his start in the early 2000s as a comic book cover designer for DC and Marvel. He eventually found his footing in advertising, working alongside the likes of The New York Times, ESPN, Prada, Playboy and Rolling Stone. Emo-rock fans might know him best as the album artist for My Chemical Romance’s hit 2006 album, “The Black Parade.”

Jean made the leap from illustrations to painted work in the 2010s, often incorporating motifs of the Baroque era alongside traditional Japanese woodblock prints and Chinese silk scroll paintings.

 “With Johnnie Walker Blue Label Lunar New Year, we wanted to create a snake 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.” Jean remarked in a news release.

A standard bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label clocks in around $200, and the Year of the Snake bottling has a suggested retail price of $300.

The brand has kept up steam with these annual Lunar New Year expressions for over a decade. More often than not, they become coveted collector’s items. 2019’s Year of the Pig Scotch is already being sold online at nearly $1,000 — chances are, this latest release will meet a similar fate in months to come.

“It has become a cherished tradition over the past 13 years for Johnnie Walker to release an annual Lunar New Year Blue Label bottle, a custom that has become an integral part of so many people’s celebrations as they gather, gift, and savor,” Josh Dean, VP of Johnnie Walker, Diageo North America added. “As these traditions are passed down through generations, we’re honored to play a role in making each Lunar New Year even more memorable year after year.”