By the Staff of Clutch and Chrome
Contributions by Maria DeWeerdt, Harley Davidson Archivist
Continued.....
The sleek,
race-inspired cafe racers of the ’70s were the
predecessors of modern sportbikes. Most of these machines
were built by enthusiasts, although Norton and Ducati
tapped into the movement with their John Player Special
and 750SS models.
Harley’s own Sportster
line had started life in a similar performance-oriented
role when it was introduced with the XLCH in 1957. But by
the mid-’70s, the company’s hot-rod image had taken a
beating from the likes of Honda’s CB750 and Kawasaki’s Z1.
1977 Sportster XLCR advertisement
Copyright Harley-Davidson
Click to enlarge
That is until Willie
G. Davidson, grandson of one of the company’s founders and
Harley’s vice president of styling
decided to take the Sportster in a new, cafe-racer
direction. The result was the 1977 XLCR. Based on the
1,000cc Sportster motor, the bike had an all-black look
that is remarkable even today.
With two legends in their own rights
meeting, Willie G Davidson and the Sportster, the
advertising copy set the stage.
'Only one man could have done this.'
The tender side of Harley
Just as Harley Davidson isn't always
trying to sell motorcycles with it's advertising, men
aren't the target audience everytime either.
News stories have
appeared regularly over the last few years in
different types of publications about the growing
number of female riders.
But as the
advertisement from
1983 shows, Harley Davidson has had
their eye of the fairer sex for sometime. Taking a
line from the woman's liberation movement that started
a decade earlier, 'I am woman. Hear me roar'
shows the female rider handling the same bike a man
would.
Rather than try to sell a motorcycle
Harley sells the feeling of riding and belonging to the H.O.G
(Harley Owners group) family.
Copyright Harley-Davidson
Click to enlarge
Filming the good side of riding
Although this article has focused on print advertising
published
over the years by Harley Davidson, it would be amiss
to omit a notable television ad.
Harley doesn't traditionally run very many
television campaigns, but one that did appear in 2004
caught the publics eye for it's originality and surprise
ending:
Copyright Harley-Davidson
A
man is admiring a Harley-Davidson motorcycle that's
parked on the street. An attractive woman passes by
and says "nice Harley", which is all the guy needs to
start flirting, boasting that he likes to live on the
edge, etc. Unfortunately for him, the real Harley
owner chooses that moment to arrive and climbs aboard
her bike. His reaction is to try to convince
the object of his affection that the bike is being
stolen right in front of them in broad daylight.
The ad re-affirmed Harley Davidson's
focus on getting women in the saddle of their very own
motorcycle while delivering the message that women find
men who ride sexy. All delivered humorously with perfect
comedic timing.
It was voted the best TV spot by
Adweek magazine in August 2004. This and other
television ad's can be found at
Harley Davidson's website.
The message today
The American motorcycle company has been
building bikes and printing ads to sell them for 103 years. It's name and
legend is firmly established worldwide as it seemingly
sets the bar for an entire genre of motorcycle.
Not relaxing, Harley Davidson's
advertising campaign and public relations is prolific and more active than it's ever been. Mobile museums tour
the country and V-Rod's will be seen in not only the third
X-Men movie but will have a regular appearance in
Spike TV's new show
'Blade'.
Print advertising is currently
light-hearted and reminding readers of the company's
legacy of legendary products.
Copyright Harley-Davidson
Click to enlarge
We did mention humor, right?
Copyright Harley-Davidson
Society has not just changed the way it perceives
motorcycles and the people who ride, but how it talks about
them as well. The 1910 ad 'Always a trusty friend' would
open Harley Davidson to ridicule and suspicion from a
cynical 2006 society. But then again the subtle styles of
modern ads would leave a reader from the 1900's confused
over what message the Milwaukee motorcycle company was trying
to send.
It leaves you wondering what advertising will be used
to entice our grandchildren to purchase their first
motorcycle, or even Harley Davidson a century from now. This question can
genuinely be
asked since there will surely be Harley Davidsons to buy
in one hundred years, in
all their chromed glory.
The use of print on the other hand, could certainly be in doubt.
Many thanks to the Harley Davidson
Archives for their contributions to this article.
All images copyright Harley Davidson
