Johnnie Walker, one of the world’s leading Scotch Whisky Brand encourages the people of Indonesia to keep hopes high and keep moving forward through these hard times. They’ve done this through auctioning two bottles of the brand’s The Walkers Collector’s Edition, with the proceeds donated to Kopernik, a leading NGO based in Bali, to help the struggling tourism communities affected by the pandemic.
The tourism industry was one of the first industries to be affected by the global pandemic. Most of the subcommunities in it including musicians, artists and other creative industry players have lost their income and livelihoods since the worldwide lockdown. With a legacy of 200 years of pushing boundaries, scotch whiskey brand Johnnie Walker held a virtual auction and donated the proceeds to Kopernik, a Bali-based Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), to support the restoration of the living standards for members of the creative tourism community in Indonesia.
Johnnie Walker auctioned two very special bottles, namely Johnnie Walker Black Label The Walkers Collector’s Edition and Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve The Walkers Collector’s Edition, products that are very rare because they were exclusively painted by Hardthirteen, a renowned Indonesian visual artist.
Being at the forefront, the local Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Kopernik created the COVID-19 Response Project and has been working hard since the beginning of the pandemic to support people’s livelihoods in the midst of unexpected developments in Indonesia. Based in Bali, Kopernik was founded in 2010 by Toshi Nakamura and Ewa Wojkowska to seek solutions to reduce poverty, introduce potential solutions for people in areas with limited access, as well as bridge the technology gap in this community.
“The creative tourism industry has been hit hard in the current situation. Many have lost their livelihoods, unable to support their families and meet their financial needs. We at Kopernik always welcome collaborations like this and creative fundraising ideas to help those in need. We would like to see more active participation from within the country to support local communities. We believe that with joint efforts, we will find the right solution,” said Ewa Wojkowska, Co-Founder of Kopernik.
These rare bottles are the first whiskey bottles hand-painted by an Indonesian artist using glow-in-the-dark paint. To produce this work of art requires a variety of unique techniques to perfect every detail that exists and took more than a week to complete. The luminous paint was chosen to spread the spirit of hope to keep going even in life’s darkest times.
“We want to provide support to local NGOs such as Kopernik who respond to the needs of affected communities when Indonesia is experiencing a pandemic like today. As part of the community, our job is to always support and unite to make meaningful change. Join this #BeTheWalkers campaign and support affected local communities by submitting your best offer. Your contribution will greatly contribute to this noble cause,” said Puneet Narang, Managing Director of Diageo Indonesia.
The vibrant and colourful design of the artwork expresses the artist’s interpretation of celebrating success in life. The painted bottles depict a bird flying out of a cage, with a globe in the background, representing the world we live in. Like a bird that has to flap its wings to fly, a person must struggle through various challenges in life to achieve their goals. Elements of lattice element serve as a reminder that although we still often act as individuals in a world that is ever-evolving, it is only when we are united that we can make real progress together.
This charity auction was held virtually from 3-6 February 2022 on Kick Avenue, a local platform that sells various fashion products through their Instagram account @kick.avenue. Bidders or anyone who wanted to participate was able to enter this auction by commenting on the Kick Avenue post beginning from 3 February 2022, with a minimum bid starting at IDR 2,000,000 for Johnnie Walker Black Label product and starting at IDR 3,000,000 for Johnnie Walker Gold Label product, with multiple bids of IDR 250,000 for each product. The auction results were announced on 7 February 2022.
