2017 Winners

Harley-Davidson is the leading motorcycle brand in Canada, but its core rider base is aging. While younger riders know and respect it, they don’t see it as their brand. They like to zip around the city – not cruise through the countryside. Without hurting the iconic status of the brand, Zulu Alpha Kilo looked for a way to change the young urban riders’ perception that a Harley-Davidson is their grandfather’s bike.

As the experience of riding a Harley is truly like no other, the agency also wanted to get them onto a Harley. But there are no Harley dealerships in the city, they are out in the suburbs – tough places to get to for young urbanites who don’t own cars.

Millennials have grown up in the age of fast and disposable, resulting in a countertrend appreciation for heritage and craft. The team set out to showcase the substance of the Harley-Davidson brand – dating all the way back to its founding by William S. Harley and Arthur Davidson in 1903.

Knowing millennials rarely talk about what a brand says, but instead what it does, the agency decide not to make an ad. Instead, it created a truly unique experience: the first ever “1903 – A Harley-­‐Davidson Café.”

The café opened for the riding season on June 16th, as part-media vehicle, part-retail footprint and part-experiential – something no motorcycle brand had done before.

Strict attention was paid to ensuring every inch of the café expressed the brand’s values of authenticity, craftsmanship, and community. The concept itself, for example, was inspired by café racer culture of the 1960’s; a ritual popular again today with young, urban riders. Coffee varietals were named after flagship bikes. For signage and artwork, the agency used photos unearthed from the archives and historical versions of the iconic brand logo. Current urban bike models were displayed alongside the classics. Local artists were commissioned to contribute works commemorating the company’s 114-­‐year history.

To support the launch, Zulu took a hyper-local approach with wild postings printed with handcrafted ink made with real coffee and coffee grinds. They even smelled like real coffee.

The Café include an area called “The Garage” where the brand hosted wrenching workshops. And while enjoying a macchiato with friends, guests could head to the back of the café and ride the showcased urban bike models on a stationary platform.

The 1903 Café was truly a café meets dealership meets brand experience.