Diageo brand Johnnie Walker is to add on-pack alcohol content and nutritional information per typical serve on bottle labels.
It becomes the drinks company’s first brand to add the information.
From early autumn, the new labels for bottles of Johnnie Walker Red Label will go into production and will then be shipped to dozens of markets globally, including Global Travel Retail and Middle East.
Diageo said up to 30 million bottles featuring the new labels would be on shelves by the end of 2016, including at duty free retail stores.
The labels conform to the new Diageo Consumer Information Standard (DCIS) which comes into effect tomorrow (2 July). It will apply to all Diageo brands.
Diageo developed the DCIS based on research conducted on more than 1,500 consumers around the world. The survey results showed that consumers wanted less information that was more clearly presented.
The research also found that, of all the information that could be included, consumers’ preference was for alcohol information (standard drink size, ABV, how many units), calories per serve, sugar content, allergens and brand facts, such as how a product is made and quality assurances.
Diageo Chief Executive Ivan Menezes said: “We believe people should have the best possible information to make informed choices about what they drink: this includes alcohol content and nutritional information per typical serve. Johnnie Walker is one of our largest global brands, which means these new labels will arm millions of people around the world with clear information about what’s in their glass and in a way they can understand at a glance, instead of expecting them to do the maths.”
Diageo Global Travel and Middle East Managing Director Doug Bagley added: “Within travel retail we work hard to offer consumers an enjoyable shopping experience and access to unique, premium products within the spirits category. We understand the responsibility that comes with this, and the importance of helping consumers recognise the alcohol content per typical serve and the nutritional information that goes with this.
“As an industry first, we’re proud that consumers around the world, including those travelling through duty free, will understand what’s in their favourite glass of Johnnie Walker, empowering them to make educated decisions.”
Updates to Johnnie Walker Black Label, Double Black, Gold Label Reserve, Platinum and Green Label are also planned for the first half of 2017.
