Three Minds On Digital Marketing @ Organic

  We work on two major automotive accounts, and occasionally we get an audience with their automotive design teams, which is always fascinating.  These are product designers who are thinking 5-10 years out, an eternity in the world of shifting consumer tastes.  I hadn't thought much about the role design plays in motorcycles.  As a former rider, I can tell you that no vehicle category is designed with as little regard for the passenger!  No gas gauge, no reverse gear, tiny rear view mirrors, no storage space - all standard on most bikes.  It's forever the pre-cupholder era, and I guess most bikers like it that way.

So I was fascinated to read about Harley-Davidson's new line of Dark Custom bikes.  Willie G. Davidson, Harley's chief styling officer, has developed a clear design point-of-view expressed through six new motorcycles.  Compared to the current Harley line, they're throwbacks to The Wild One (1953), less chrome, more black matte finishes, and designed (in theory) to get dirty.  From a marketing perspective, they're about making the brand younger.  Average age of the Harley rider? 46. 

The Dark Custom promos shows guys riding with Vans on, shredding in skateparks, and even on the slopes with snowboards strapped behind them like guitars.  It would seem over-the-top until you remind yourself that motorcycling was the original extreme sport.

Harley-Davidson: Dark Custom

Misha Cornes