Biker Brand Launches Rebel Ad Campaign
Not all print advertising has gone green
Green printing and green advertising tend to go hand in hand, which makes me think that Harley-Davidson probably wasn’t worried about finding an eco-friendly printer for their latest print ad campaign.

The campaign, which was launched both in print and online, is based around a philosophy that can roughly be summarized by the copy, "Fear sucks. Screw it, let’s ride."
Carmichael Lynch, the Minneapolis ad agency behind the campaign, conducted ‘road research’ in the development of the concept, hanging out with Harley owners and asking them what was on their minds.
The results are a campaign that confronts the issues of the day, such as economic downswing and political conflict, with the rebellious, defiant attitude that biker culture is famous for.
The campaign, which includes both traditional print media, and apparel printing, stands in stark contrast to the rest of the ultra-enlightened green advertising industry. Although Harley-Davidson doesn’t come right out and say it, the ads are obviously making a statement about rising fuel costs, encouraging riders to ignore the expense and environmental impact in favor of a screw-you rebel attitude.
It’s a smart move by Harley. After all, as fast as the green wave is rising, the backlash of eco-ennui is rising to meet it. It’s nice to imagine that everybody cares, but plenty of folks are sick of the buzz, and the average go-your-own-way road warrior probably falls into this category.
However, every ad campaign is a bottom line masquerading as a life philosophy, and Harley’s subversive, anti-green strategy is trenched as much in recovering from recent layoffs and a 12.8% drop in U.S. retail motorcycle sales, as it is in re-gifting a sense of freedom and fun to biker culture.
So, at a time when green advertising and green printing have become de rigeur, is an anti-green campaign suicide, or the perfect marketing plan? With the Harley ad scheme stretching on until June, it will be interesting to see what kind of numbers the bike company posts in the next quarter. Have they hit the nail on the head, or have they gambled on an outdated philosophy of un-mindful thinking?




