Johnnie Walker finds a new muse in Sabrina Carpenter for its latest ad

Diageo-owned Johnnie Walker has unveiled the latest phase of its partnership with Grammy Award-winning artist and global pop star Sabrina Carpenter, debuting a new campaign film that celebrates self-expression and the modern whisky consumer.

The film premiered on the jumbotron at Carpenter’s Pittsburgh concert on 23 October and will continue to be screened across the remaining stops of her Short n’ Sweet tour, which runs until the end of November.

Styled with a vintage aesthetic and a soft, grainy film texture, the advertisement draws inspiration from mid-20th-century television commercials. It opens with a male voiceover proclaiming, “They told her it was a man’s world. They said whisky wasn’t her drink.”

Carpenter responds without dialogue, dismissing these dated notions before being served a glass of Johnnie Walker Black Label. The sequence echoes the tone of Carpenter’s forthcoming album Man’s Best Friend, a link subtly reinforced by the puppy resting at her feet, symbolising a shift in “the company she keeps.”

The campaign’s styling and pacing draw from the “golden age of spirits advertising,” reinterpreted through a contemporary lens. Its message is one of understated defiance: that confidence, like whisky, need not conform to traditional expectations.

The collaboration extends beyond film and into the singer's ongoing tour experience itself. Select concert venues now feature Carpenter’s signature Johnnie Walker Black Label cocktails, including her interpretations of classic serves.

Johnnie Walker’s choice of celebrity collaborators has long been integral to its storytelling strategy. The brand’s roster of ambassadors spans decades and disciplines, from Hollywood to motorsport.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas currently serves as global ambassador for Blue Label, following her appearance in high-profile campaigns that fused global appeal with heritage luxury. Jude Law brought suave sophistication to a series of short films for the brand, while Christina Hendricks made headlines as one of the first prominent female whisky ambassadors. 

Earlier campaigns featured veteran actor Harvey Keitel, who fronted the original “Keep Walking” series in 1999, and Scottish actor Robert Carlyle, who narrated the acclaimed short film The Man Who Walked Around the World. Formula One champions Jenson Button and Mika Häkkinen have also partnered with the brand through its responsible drinking initiatives.