Harley-Davidson: Say It Ain't So!

This week's Looser Award (given to an advertiser for demeaning young men) goes to an unlikely recipient: Harley-Davidson.

Yep, that's right, the iconic manufacturer of manly motorcycles had managed to land a Looser. In an ad running on television, Harley features a young man--late 20's or early 30's--standing next to a nice-looking mid-size bike parked on the street. The thin, clean-shaven, dark-haired man, wearing something akin to "business casual" attire, begins extolling the virtues of the hard-bitten biker life after a very attractive young woman comes up beside him to admire the Harley parked on the street.

So far, so good, although he is going a bit overboard on the description of his Harley adventures. Also, his face is a bit weak-featured, so he doesn't seem like the traditional Harley sort. As he goes on about the "open road" etc., the young lady appears impressed.

Just then, another young woman strolls up, helmet in hand, mounts the bike with a lanky leg, dons her helmet and roars off. Our young man gets a sheepish look as the pretty young lady he was wooing walks off in disgust. The tag line is something like "get your own Harley".

The ad is kind of cute, although I had trouble figuring out who it was aimed at. Recent news reports suggest that Harley-Davidson is trying to broaden its appeal beyond white males to women, blacks and Hispanics.

See, e.g. "Harley-Davidson Fights Changing Markets With Appeals to Blacks, Hispanics." (http://www.targetmarketnews.com)

So perhaps this ad is aimed at women? Or maybe its saying this Looser will become a winner if he buys his own Harley?

Either way, I"m willing to bet Harley can do it without yet another ad portraying 20-something males as weak loosers unappealing to women. I was saddened to see Harley, of all advertisers, joining the Looser bandwagon.

C'mon Harley--you can do better. By the way, have you noticed how the beer market has tanked in recent years with its endless Looser ads? Take heed!