Longer Rides Are Better in Harley-Davidson's Ads Documentary outperforms latest brand spot
While most brands are focusing on shorter and shorter ads, Harley Davidson, ever the rebel, has been slapping up long, documentary-style videos with slow-talkin' men and slow soulful pickin'. Though it's only on their YouTube channel, the 4:17 video below—about the Harley-Davidson styling team of Willie G. Davidson and Casey Ketterhagan—has many more views than the brand's latest 60-second "No Cages" spot. Both were posted a couple of weeks ago. The new :60, from Victors & Spoils, continues the theme of the "No Cages" crowdsourced ad we wrote about back in February. Called "Liberation," it has the same slow guitar as the longer video, but it transitions to hard rock when the rider liberates a bunch of doggies from a well-meaning pet store. Ha ha, small child poking your fingers through the cages. You'll never adopt that dog now! It's been liberated by a man with 6 percent more power in his Twin Cam 96 engine! Of course, it's no shock that Harley fans might prefer the documentary-style ad to the slick, commercial feel of the "Liberation" spot. Now, how to fit that into a :60?
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AdFreak is your daily blog of the best and worst of creativity in advertising, media, marketing and design. Follow us as we celebrate (and skewer) the latest, greatest, quirkiest and freakiest commercials, promos, trailers, posters, billboards, logos and package designs around. Edited by Adweek's Tim Nudd. Updated every weekday, with a weekly recap on Saturdays.


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