Will Johnnie Walker’s new labels change the way we see nutritional information for alcohol?

Diageo announced that Johnnie Walker will be the first global brand to provide customers with on-pack alcohol content and nutritional information per serving.

People surveyed in a global consumer research study said that when too much information (especially small text) is placed on the label, it can be so confusing that they often ignore it entirely. The new label designs reflect the way consumers want to receive and understand information about alcohol content.

Less information, clearly presented

Research also found that of all the information that could be included on a label, what was most important to consumers was alcohol information (standard drink size, ABV, how many units), calories per serve, sugar content, allergens and “brand facts,” including how a product is made and quality assurance.

Diageo’s Director of Alcohol in Society Carolyn Panzer said that current labeling on most alcoholic beverages does not reflect how most people consume alcohol. “There is no beverage of moderation, only a practice of moderation, and that is why we are committed to providing information on alcohol per serving, which enables people to compare the amount of alcohol in different kinds of drinks – from beer to bourbon – at a glance.”

Ivan Menezes, Diageo’s chief executive, 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.” He expects the new labels to arm millions of Johnnie Walker drinkers around the world with clear information about what’s in their glass in a way that they can easily understand.

From next month, cans and bottles of Ireland’s number one ale, Smithwick’s, will also hit the shelves with updated labels, and from early next year, Guinness Draught cans sold in the Republic of Ireland will also be updated to carry alcohol content and nutritional information per serve. Between them, Smithwick’s and Guinness account for 39 per cent of Ireland’s beer market.

Updates to Johnnie Walker Black Label, Double Black, Gold Label Reserve, Platinum and Green Label are also planned for the first half of 2017.

Carolyn Panzer, Director of Alcohol in Society, Diageo, said: “The new scheme is simple, clear and attractive – and most importantly, it’s based on what consumers want. There is no beverage of moderation, only a practice of moderation, and that is why we are committed to providing information on alcohol per serving, which enables people to compare the amount of alcohol in different kinds of drinks – from beer to bourbon – at a glance. Current labeling on most alcoholic beverages does not reflect how people consume alcohol and therefore does not allow consumers to understand how much alcohol is in their favorite drink or what is in their glass.”

This announcement forms part of Diageo’s strategy to deliver its commitment to providing alcohol content and nutritional information per typical serve through Diageo’s responsible drinking website DRINKiQ.com (www.DRINKiQ.com) and/or on-pack in a majority of Diageo’s markets subject to local regulatory approval, as soon as practicable. In the first move to fulfil this commitment, the first shipment of Crown Royal labelled with macronutrient and calorie information was released in the US in October 2015.