The Musings Of An Opinionated Sod [Help Me Grow!]

Of course some of this status has been achieved by things that occurred outside of the brands direct influence/control [the ‘Acts of God’ as I like to call them] but still, when you take into account that it’s not the best bike in the World … nor the most efficient … nor the most practical for daily urban use … you realize how powerful the emotional value of a brand can be in overcoming more rational obstacles.

Given this consistency in brand approach/identity, you’d think this is one of the most carefully managed brands in the World but I don’t think it is …

OK, so the actual product has been pretty stable in its execution over the decades, but there’s been more than one occasion where – like Ferrari – they’ve fallen into the [ego] trap of licensing.

Don’t get me wrong, licensing can be a fantastic way to create new revenue channels as well as extend the presence and awareness of a brand, but when you sell your name to anyone/anything, you are in danger of fucking up the long term value of your brand just for the sake of a couple of quarters heightened profit.

[I know I’ve said it before, but I never understood how Harley – a brand that represents ‘freedom’ – could go out and put their name to a range of bloody watches given they’re a device created for ‘time management/awareness’. Talk about a complete clash of purposes!]

Before people start slagging me off for being a purist, I’d like to point out that I think I’m far more intune with the demands of brand and profit than many in Adland … however strategy is there for a reason and whilst there has to always be a degree of flexibility, it shouldn’t mean you can go off and do something directly opposed to the companies direction/philosophy just because you think you can make a couple of extra bucks.

I think one of the reasons this sort of thing happens is that brand managers spend such a small amount of time in their job before moving on and doing something else.

I believe the average length of time for a brand manager is 18 months which means they will either [1] do nothing different because they don’t want to be known as ‘the person who fucked up’ or [2] they do lots of things different because they want to be known as ‘the person who made big changes’.

Of course there are strengths and weaknesses to both of these characters, but it would seem the guys currently running Harley fall into the latter, because they have just launched an ad campaign – admittedly in image-obsessed Asia – which makes the licensing of a watch look practically sensible compared to this shit …

No, it’s not the visual I’m upset about – though that is pretty crap, especially as the image of the brand is often driven through iconic imagery tapping into the ‘freedom’ essence – it’s the copy of the ad that bothers me most.

Let me re-type it for you …

“You’ve taken over the helm of companies, assuming countless roles in the span of your corporate life. But none are as exhilarating as taking the helm of a Harley Davidson Softball Rocker C [TM].

When you experience the strength of its drive. It gives you a sense of freedom that changes you. And once you’ve taken the seat on a Harley, that’s when you realize that it’s not a position, it’s a privilege.”

Holy crap, who wrote this shit?

Apart from the fact it’s been written using some of the worst [and most pretentious] grammar since Yoda … it just is so off bloody brand.

Yes, those 2 horrible ‘planner type’ words that are the scourge of every creative – but in this situation, absolutely appropriately used!

Now whilst I’m sure some planner would like to argue a life of freedom is a life of privilege, that’s not what this ad is trying to say … if it was, they would not of talked about things like ‘taking over the helm of companies’ or ‘corporate life’.

Corporate life?

Harley Davidson?

Jesus, they’ll be talking about how their bikes have storage capacity for a set of fucking golf clubs next.

It’s bad enough they put ‘TM’ after the product name, but to blatantly link the brand to ‘white collar management’ is beyond fucking belief. It just smacks of a company going after sales regardless of the implications, and whilst cash flow is vital – especially in these economic times – to basically turn your back on the essence of your brand is nothing short of scandalous … especially when the positioning they embrace is about as polar opposite to what Harley is about as you can get.

Of course the fact is a load of Harley owners probably are CEO’s and accountants – lets face it, they are the only fuckers who can afford them – however by actively bursting the bubble of illusion, delusion and unspoken truth that has kept that brand prospering for decades, they are acting in a way that is probably going to be more beneficial for their competitors than their own brand.