Johnnie Walker was founded in 1820 in Kilmarnock, Scotland by John Walker, a grocer. By the 1860s, this modest family operation had become an international phenomenon. The rebranding of the company’s three aged whiskies in 1909 introduced a renaming of the blends according to their respective white, red, and black labels as well as the distinctive squared bottles. At this time, the familiar figure of the Striding Man, configured as an Edwardian dandy, was illustrated by cartoonist Tom Browne. In 1939, the man was reduced to a logo, one still used today. Johnnie Walker Red Label, advertised in this 1975 poster, has been the best-selling Scotch whisky in the world since 1945. The image of the Black couples enjoying the whiskey reflects efforts to broaden its appeal in the American market.