According to Luxist.com, Ethiopian runner and Olympic gold medal winner Haile Gebrselassie is the “new face of Johnnie Walker whisky.” The runner will become a part of the Diageo Keep Walking campaign, saying “He used to run to class. Now he runs for gold.”
The one-year contract, worth $100,000, will feature Gebreselassie in print ads for the brand. He is the first African to advertise with Johnnie Walker.
This partnership has stirred up some controversy, as Gebrselassie is considered a role model by many young people in Ethiopia. The television ad will not be shown on Ethiopian Television because the country’s laws prohibit ads for spirits. The advertisement is a part of the Walk with Giants campaign, which has featured Sir Richard Branson, F1 superstar Lewis Hamilton, and Robert Carlyle.
