Case Study: Johnnie Walker x Dua Lipa — Studio 2054 Content Strategy

Blending Music, Culture & Spirits at the Peak of a Global Pause

In 2020, live music faced an existential threat. No in-person concerts, festivals, dancing. But rather than pause the beat, Studio 2054 set out to reinvent it.

Dua Lipa's globally live-streamed performance brought together music, theatre, dance, and digital spectacle. It was a neon-drenched party for a generation in lockdown. Featuring guest stars like Kylie Minogue, Elton John, and FKA Twigs, it was a music event, and a cultural moment.

And Johnnie Walker was at the heart of it.

The Partnership

As an official spirits sponsor, Johnnie Walker's goal was simple: Be visible. Be seamless. Be part of the night.

From a branded DJ booth to an on-set bar, the brand was strategically woven into the event's look, feel, and flavour. In a way that respected Dua's aesthetic while extending Johnnie Walker's 'Keep Walking' positioning into the cultural zeitgeist.

My Role

Content Strategy & Planning

• Developed the end-to-end content strategy across organic and paid channels before, during, and after the event

• Ensured signature highball recipes and branded moments were heroed with relevance and shareability

Art Direction & Concept Development

• Led creative concepting and direction of Instagram posts and Stories, building assets that felt native to both Johnnie Walker and Dua Lipa's visual worlds

• Developed key visuals and Stories content showcasing bespoke cocktails crafted for the event

• All assets were personally approved by Dua Lipa — a major endorsement for quality and alignment.

Copywriting & Channel Execution

• Authored all social copy with an eye on tone, cultural cues, and platform-native performance

• Created captions and content that supported both brand goals and artist narratives

Live Monitoring & Insight Generation

• Monitored real-time audience response during the event to track sentiment and engagement

• Captured insights and learnings to inform future experiential brand collaborations

Results

Organic Social

• Delivered 2–4% organic engagement rates across Instagram and Twitter — well above industry benchmarks

• Generated significant UGC and event-led buzz, amplified by Dua's sharing

Paid Media Performance (via PHD):

• Targeted 8M+ UK music streamers on Twitter → 2M impressions

• Reached 16M users across UK, Germany & Spain → 20M+ impressions via promoted content

• Instagram Stories dark-posted to high-interest segments → 20M+ impressions

Why It Worked

• Strategic synergy: Not a badging exercise, but a culturally aligned collaboration

• Visual fluency: Brand content matched the aesthetic of Studio 2054 without feeling intrusive

• Tone-perfect storytelling: Copy and creative respected the moment and audience

• Product integration done right: Signature serves became part of the story, not an afterthought

Wrapping Up

Through thoughtful content, live insight, and seamless brand integration, we made the highball part of pop culture's most stylish night in.

Want to elevate your cultural campaign strategy?

Let's chat 👉 Contact

Due to contractual agreements, all Johnnie Walker assets expired from brand channels in December 2020.