Diageo has announced it is launching Diageo Luxury Group, a new global division designed to unite its luxury assets into one portfolio.
It will include key luxury brands Brora and Port Ellen, iconic Scottish brand homes including Johnnie Walker Princes Street and luxury wine business Justerini & Brooks.
The new division will be responsible for chartering luxury strategy and accelerating the growth of brands that retail at $100 and above, in partnership with their respective brand stewards globally. This is the fastest growing price tier in international spirits since 2020, underpinned by long term consumer trends, such as a growing interest from young and diverse consumers and the growing desire for intangible experiences in luxury.
Led by Julie Bramham, former Global Brand Director of Johnnie Walker, who is also responsible for shaping and delivering the marketing transformation agenda at Diageo, existing colleagues within marketing, sales and commercial teams have been aligned under new strategy and leadership, with the aim of becoming the number one luxury spirits company in the world.
The Diageo Luxury Group will focus on key influential cities around the world, Global Travel and the market of Great Britain, the home of Scotch Whisky. The news comes as Diageo Great Britain simultaneously launches the Diageo Luxury Company (DLC), a division within the home market. Operating within a broader price point of £30+, the DLC will focus on locally relevant luxury brand building and memorable consumer experiences, working with brands including Don Julio, Johnnie Walker and Cîroc.
The Diageo Luxury Group will encompass:
- Diageo’s 15 brand homes and distillery visitor experiences, including Johnnie Walker Princes Street – which has welcomed over 1 million visitors from 141 countries since it opened three years ago.
- In Scotch alone, Diageo’s access to over 10 million casks from over 30 distilleries, approximately half of the total number of casks currently resting in Scotland. These include ‘ghost’ stocks from Port Ellen and Brora, appointment-only, luxury distilleries, and icons of the whisky world which have been meticulously re-envisioned and restored to their former glory.
- Shaping the future of Justerini & Brooks, one of the UK’s oldest fine wine and spirits merchants, including a luxury shopping destination at 41 Burlington Arcade and its outstanding portfolio of whisky and wine. Celebrating its 275th anniversary this year, it has become a symbol of quality.
- Relationships with an exclusive community of global clients, who enjoy extraordinary access to Diageo’s exceptional product offerings and its otherwise unattainable experiences.
- One of the whisky industry’s most established and diverse cask ownership programmes, Casks of Distinction, which offers access to purchase individual casks of rare Scotch Whisky from Diageo’s stocks. Only a small number of fully mature casks are selected and sourced from a range of some of Scotland’s most historic distilleries. Diageo will soon be announcing the second iteration of ‘The Twelve’ by Casks of Distinction, single cask offerings that will never be repeated or created again.
- Further transformational and iconic collaborations to come across trade partners, brand and innovation pipelines.
Bramham said “We are privileged to hold Diageo’s finest assets in our possession – a collection of exceptional brands and talented individuals that allow us to combine heritage with a forward-thinking drive. Bringing the breadth of our luxury offering together, alongside a focus on expansion of our luxury-based experiences, has Diageo incredibly well-placed to deliver for our clients and customers. I look forward to an exciting future.”