Johnnie Walker x The Oscars

Women are changing the fabric of film. So we honored their films in fabric.

Filmmaking women have long been underrepresented across the Hollywood awards circuit. And with not a single one nominated for Best Director (or Best Picture) at the 95th Academy Awards, ignoring the issue became impossible.

For Women’s History Month, Johnnie Walker leveraged its partnerships with the Oscars and Women in Film to create the ultimate tribute to cinema’s female trailblazers: a reimagined red carpet, honoring a few of the talented women who should have been walking the real one.

PRESS:

AdAge, Vogue, Vanity Fair, The Hollywood Reporter, The Drum, Variety

Weaving the Carpet

All tapestries were sewn by the wildly talented makers at The London Embroidery Studio. Each honors a female filmmaker whose work has propelled the industry forward.

To create the panels, we worked with a slew of talented designers, the fine folks at LES, and the filmmakers themselves. Shown here are the initial sketches and the final pieces.

Gina Prince-Bythewood’s Tapestry was designed by Abi Rennie. It was inspired by the bold spirit of her films and their iconic characters and textures.

Ana Lily Amirpour’s Tapestry was designed by Johnny Cole. It brings to life her films, her outlaw approach to filmmaking, and her mantra “to make the weird real.”

Wanuri Kahiu’s Tapestry was designed by Kavel Raferty. It takes inspiration from her approach to filmmaking and the fierce, colorful joy present across her work.

Janicza Bravo’s Tapestry was designed by Keller Grimmer. It heroes a quote of hers and uses color and shape to nod to both her work and the films that have inspired it.

Julie Dash’s Tapestry was designed by King Owusu and Abi Rennie. It was inspired by her journey as a filmmaker, the lush atmospheres of her films, and the doors she’s opened for others in the industry.

Christine Choy’s Tapestry was designed by Johnny Cole. It celebrates the defiant spirit of her documentaries, pulling inspiration from the films themselves, the American justice system, and protest sign iconography.

Claire Denis’ Tapestry was designed by Abi Rennie. It draws from the atmospheric richness of her films, her imaginative characters, and her human-first approach to filmmaking.

For those who couldn’t see the carpet in person, we brought it to life on social.

MUBI Partnership

We joined forces with the streaming service MUBI to create a program called Women-Made Wednesdays, encouraging consumers to watch a women-made film — you guessed it — every Wednesday. Anyone who signed up could get a one-month membership, free of charge.

Our carpet unrolled at the Women In Film Oscars Party and the Vanity Fair Oscars Pre-Party. We worked with Chloé Zhao and Laura Dern to promote it.

Extending the Reach

We augmented our launch by projecting our message onto the sides of buildings and leaving guerrilla-style wheat-pastings around LA.

WATCH MORE WOMEN MADE FILMS

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WATCH MORE WOMEN MADE FILMS •••

CREDITS:
Creative Direction: Leanne Amann
Art Direction: Jay Levesque
Copy: Sydney Lemens, Victoria Trow
Strategy: Taylor Chrien,
Account/PM: Alasandro Fenston, Isabella Hasson, Maya Villiers, Patrick Lynch, Morgan Murray, Katherine Sciortino
Production: Lily Ellis, Harry Lowell
Business Affairs: Meredith Thornhill
Agency: Anomaly NYC