As one of the most recognized brands in the world and absolutely central to the fabric of Milwaukee, Harley-Davidson has been a bit of a holy grail for us as a prospect, but because they do most of the creative work in-house these days, it just ain't easy getting in there.

Call it a Christmas miracle, but this Winter out of the blue, their marketing team was under water (ice?) and needed help. The Product Marketing Manager for their Parts & Accessories division reached out to our Client Manager (formerly on said marketing team at H-D) and asked if we might be available.

We weren't, but we fired 3 clients, cancelled family holidays, hired a gaffer named 'Moder' and damn quick got so.

The ask was to create storytelling campaigns for their high-end audio equipment, tuner products and long-haul storage accessories. The deliverables included key messaging and copy for use by the Dealer Retail Marketing team and other stakeholders to promote the products and drive sales in dealerships across American and online. And to support the campaigns visually, we also needed to complete a multi-day photoshoot along with video for use in-store and on social.

Getting the H-D brand guide for 2024 was a near religious experience.

The ideas we pitched included shooting in the never-before-allowed NVH Anechoic chamber at H-D Product Development Center, as well as capturing high-end product shots on bikes in our own studio.

Along with retouched photography selects for print, we also created 3 videos with motion graphics to deliver the promise of authentic OEM parts, made in Wisconsin with H-D factory fit-and-finish.

The winter miracle turned into a dream project with high stakes that let us help them tell one of their coolest stories.