Harley Davidson recently launched its “E Pluribus Unum” (“out of many, one”) social media campaign based on “having actual Harley riders show off their own chrome.” The campaign was conceived, developed and executed by Harley Davidson fans and centers around the Twitter hashtag #StereotypicalHarley.
The campaign idea belongs to Harley Davidson fan Harold Chase, a member of Fan Machine, the brand’s Facebook-based crowdsourcing platform. Designed to challenge the stereotype of the Harley rider and showcase the Harley community’s “surprising diversity,” the effort allows Harley fans to speak for themselves on Twitter, using the hashtag to talk about why they ride and who they are (Adweek). According to director of marketing communications Dino Bernacchi, Harley fans “know how to express our brand” and “live it every day.”
The campaign also kicked off with a 90-second video starring 18 diverse Harley-Davidson riders, including an honor student, third grade teacher, gourmet chef and a soccer mom. The aim is not only to get riders excited about sharing their stories, but to get potential Harley owners into the showrooms. Many of Harley’s 3.3 million Facebook fans don’t own a bike yet, says Bernacchi. The brand is hopeful that the #stereotypicalHarley stories will get them inspired to finally make the purchase and become part of the Harley community.
