Harley-Davidson
A brand repositioning that reaches riders under 35 through pop music and a more affordable motorcycle.
// ROLE
Research, Strategy, and Design
// TYPE
Brand Repositioning
// INDUSTRY
Automotive
// YEAR
2024
// DURATION
10 Weeks
// PROBLEM
Riders under 35 see Harley-Davidson as an outdated, expensive “old man’s bike,” and sales keep falling.
// SOLUTION
Street Noise: a new, more affordable motorcycle launched through pop music, with four artists carrying the brand.
// OUTCOME
A final creative brief with one-year targets for sales, website visits, and store visits from riders 24 to 35.
// THE PROBLEM
120 years of loyalty, and a customer base getting older.
Harley-Davidson owns the idea of American freedom. The riders who grew up with that idea are retiring, and younger riders aren’t replacing them.
A small share of a $68B market.
$3.8B in 2023 revenue, against $68.43B in global motorcycle sales.
Loyal, but aging.
H.O.G. has over a million members, mostly older men who’ve ridden for years.
“Outdated” and “expensive.”
How younger riders describe the brand.
Between the rider Harley has and the rider it’s losing.
Our personas: a 61-year-old retired engineer and a 31-year-old marketer.
// RESEARCH AND INSIGHTS
We asked riders, then asked Harley.
01 · Survey
An online survey
How riders see the brand and compare it to rivals.
02 · Interview
A Harley-Davidson employee
The company’s view of its own strategy.
03 · Market research
Trends, rivals, and culture
Mintel, sales reports, and brand studies.
// 01
Riders think Harley has fallen behind.
We asked: “In terms of design and innovation, how does Harley-Davidson compare to Yamaha, Triumph, Indian, and others?”
said worse or much worse
Much worse 33.9%
Worse 45.2%
About the same 11.3%
Better or much better 9.6%
Redrawn from our survey’s pie chart as one bar, so the 79% reads at a glance.
// SURVEY RESPONSE
// 02
The competition isn’t only other bikes.
Direct
Ducati, Yamaha, Triumph
Modern technology, high-speed performance, lower prices
Indirect
Porsche, Tesla, Bentley
Premium status with modern engineering
Threats
Uber, Toyota
Convenience and long-term reliability
// THE INSIGHT THAT SHAPED EVERYTHING AFTER
// STRATEGY
Keep the freedom. Change who it belongs to.
Harley-Davidson already stands for freedom. We pointed it at personal expression instead of nostalgia.
A symbol of American freedom
A way to express who you are
Nostalgia and heritage
Innovation and individuality
Premium and out of reach
Modern, efficient, and accessible
// THREE PILLARS
01
Innovation
Affordability, fuel efficiency, and a smaller environmental impact.
02
Thrill factor
The excitement younger riders want from the machine itself.
03
Tone and personality
Bold and current, without losing the brand’s edge.
// DESIGN SOLUTION
// 01
Street Noise
A new motorcycle launched like an album: on stage, in music videos, and in front of crowds.
// 02
Four artists, four personalities
Each artist shows a different way to ride, so the bike reads as personal, not one fixed image.
// 03
The rollout
Launch where the audience already is, then go national.
APR 11, 2025
Coachella
Live launch with the artists
FEB 2026
Super Bowl
The national moment
BUDGET
$2 million
Across both launch moments
// FULL CREATIVE BRIEF
The final deck, 25 slides.
HARLEY-DAVIDSON CREATIVE BRIEF
DRAG OR USE THE ARROWS · 25 SLIDES
// RESULTS
Targets we set for the first year.
SALES
WEBSITE INTERACTION
IN-STORE VISITS, AGES 24 TO 35
Class project. These are the goals in our brief, not measured results.
// TAKEAWAYS
01
Ask before you design
One survey quote said more than any trend report.
02
Change the audience, not the soul
Freedom stayed. Who it belongs to changed.
03
Strategy has to look like something
The stencil system made the repositioning visible.
// MY ROLE, SKILLS, TOOLS, TEAM
My Role
Research
Brand Strategy
Presentation Design
Skills
Survey Research
Competitive Analysis
Persona Development
Campaign Strategy
Tools
Figma
Adobe Creative Suite
Team
Kayla Tang
Jack Coleman
Camila Ayala
Andrew Lamm
// NEXT PROJECT
// SAY HELLO
Let’s Connect
Have a project in mind, a question, or just want to say hello? I’d love to hear from you!
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