Students try to help Harley-Davidson wake up to the fact that women like to ride, too.
Participants in my DIY Brand Camp have heard me cite Tom Peters' assertion that Harley-Davidson does not sell motorcycles. He quotes a Harley executive: "What we sell is the ability for a 43-year-old accountant to dress in black leather, ride through small towns and have people be afraid of him."
While that positioning strategy worked for decades, it completely ignored the fact that women want to feel independent and in control, too, and it completely missed the younger audience that once defined the brand.
So, it’s very interesting to see this student campaign for the brand. But to me the students have missed the mark, too. The three ads in the series pigeonhole women as interested primarily in yoga, hair-dos and skin treatments. Ouch.
Article: Hardcore Self Care