Harley had never attempted to tie in Halloween to a retail initiative before. We had the idea of taking one of the most iconic sportster bikes, the Forty-Eight, and feature almost all of its parts in the shape of a skull, while highlighting a Halloween theme. This had a double meaning to Harley riders as there was already an iconic skull synonymous with the brand – the Willie G Skull, rumoured to have been designed as far back as the early 1930’s. We wanted to pay homage to the long-respected badge, while being relevant to the theme and goal we were aiming for.

Typically, most riders know that merchandise goes on sale at the end of riding season before new inventory replaces it. We therefore looked to target Harley owners and prospective shoppers in the retail space where our genuine parts could be purchased.

Set in a portrait layout and sized to work with every POS set-up in dealerships across Ontario, this poster featured virtually every part of the Forty-Eight from the foot peg to the header pipes. Even the exhausts and air filter had a role in the layout. The background was decided upon to help the 70+ parts work together and form a dark visual, with the shadowing mimicking a moonlight reflection. Beyond the white font, every colour used is dark or orange looking to drive the timely Halloween theme home.

With the bold and detailed skull taking up 80% of the canvas, the striking design is payed off with the line, This Halloween, treat yourself to genuine Harley-Davidson parts.

The initial posting date in dealerships was October 23, 2017. We distributed the work by supplying Harley-Davidson Headquarters with over 40 pieces to distribute across Ontario where dealers could then place them in their ideal POS locations. The uptake was very successful with the majority of dealers installing the posters ahead of Halloween in their stores.