Written Analysis - Analysis 1

The theories that seem to apply to Harley Davidson Motorcycle are myths and icons.      

Harley Davidson cultivates the idea of rebellion. This myth has generated a great American success story, with the company, more than 100 years old, producing over about 290.000 motorcycles in a year. A company that old has a lot of tradition, which also contributes to mythic qualities. The motorcycle has a “unique, rumbling, throaty roar” and a “sleek, road-warrior look”. It definitely evokes and anti-establishment feel, a wild “bad-boy persona”. The following quote from a Harley Davidson brochure shows how the Harley myth is sustained: “The road has always been the place to find the answers. Or ignore the questions. Miles pass. Civilization fades. Living begins.”

Harley Davidson’s iconic brand signifies subculture of society. When a person thinks of a motorcycle he or she thinks “Harley.” As an icon the Harley “fills a void in consumers’ lives” and signifies an emotional investment. Harley’s iconic brand can adapt over time to increase consumers’ emotional involvement and therefore loyalty.  

It would seem that a myth can develop over time and through tradition with in that time period. A myth also seems to a transcendent quality. An icon seems to require a high degree emotional investment and tends to be identified with a sub-group of society. An icon tends to fill a void in peoples’ lives.