When one thinks of classic Americana, they reminisce about the 1970s and 1980s and the notion of the nostalgic past in terms of what is the classic American image. It was a time of economic prowess where the blue collar factory worker would work 9 to 5 and then go to the local bar with his coworkers. However, times have since changed. The industrial plants that once dominated the Great Lakes economic region has become a shell of its past to the point where it is now none as the Rust Belt as industry left and white collar jobs became the norm. Since this degradation has settled into this once industrial cities, many cities and companies have sought to rebrand themselves in order to build from their reputations in the past to appeal to the nostalgia felt today. One such case where these is a correlation between a company and city are that of Harley Davidson, founded 1904, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Both have sought to rebrand themselves to the public and consumer, with Milwaukee seeking to transformation its image into that of a young and vibrant and city while Harley targets a new clientele. It is this shift to Harley’s "cult branding" to attract new clients that parallels Milwaukee's attempts to integrate itself to a service sector economy based on touristic leisure and the consumption of …show more content…
Needless to say, that experience has changed over time. It began from a simplistic design in 1904 as a motorized bike. However, as time progressed it brought about the introduction of the biker gang era. These were the bad asses image riding their heavy bikes down the highway, rebels who refused to give in to society’s pressures. It was the time of the Hell’s Angels, with their patches, long hair, and untidy beards that became the symbol of freedom on the road. They created the mantra of the bad ass dude on a bad ass American bike and no one was gonna tell him what to
Ron Johnson spent a great deal of time and money to promote his ideas of “stores-within-stores” by turning floor space into an area to house several branded boutiques. He did this in order to attract a target market of a wider demographic which includes age, gender, and generation. One of the m...
The company went with a new concept the “Follow your Folly where it relied on whimsical branding that evoked nostalgic and reflective memories” (Ferrell, 2010.pg 67/473).
Harley-Davidson owns a twenty percent market share followed closely by Honda, Yamaha, and Kawasaki. One thing they have had to overcome in the marketplace is the stereotypical image associated with motorcycle owners. It seems the publ...
Americans soon not only had one car, but they had two! Teenagers now drove cars as part of the iconic 1950s culture with their friends. Fast food places like In-N-Out and McDonalds were built on the fast paced nature of the automobile. The US interstate was built for more convenient travels, and also for cold war preparations. Having a car was part of the American way of life and the American way was to buy an American car that was made in Detroit Michigan. The best selling car companies of the 1950s were Chevy, Ford, Pontiac, Buick, and Oldsmobile. (Zyla, 1) If someone drove a car that did not sport an american badge on the grille, they were a
The first alluring aspect of the Roaring Twenties is that it was when cars were first introduced to the public on a large scale. When Henry Ford’s “Model T” rose to popularity in the 1920’s, people could get in an automobile and go wherever they pleased for a reasonable price. In 1914, a Model T cost about $490. By 1921, Ford had lowered the price to only $310. Through this, cars transformed from a privilege to a commodity. As cars gained popularity, common people were freed from the limitations of their location. The automobile created mobility on a scale like never before in human history, and the resulting effect on living habits and social customs is endless. If I lived in the 1920’s, I would enjoy the new freedom that comes along with this revolutionary feat.
Within the past century, the automobile have had a large impact on cities. One of the effects of the automobile that people don't always think about is the formation of suburbs. Suburbs began being built heavily in the 19th and 20th centuries. “Levittown was the first pre-fabricated community, it was built in 1949.” (Automobile in American Life). Levittown was the first of the largest mass produced suburbs. Cars allowed for people to live outside of the city and still be able to commute to work. This greatly reduced city crowding. The expansion of city boundaries required an expansion of roadways. Highways and Interstates were formed because of this. Highways allowed for travel between cities and interstate allowed for travel across state lines. (Automotive History). Along with this new expansion came new opportunities. Some of these opportunities include drive-in movie theaters and restaurants, drive-thru banks and restaurants, motels, and convenience stores. 7 Eleven was the first extended hour convenience store (Impact of the Automobile). This impacted american culture and travel greatly. It was the first store with extended hours. The new hours were from 7 am - 11pm. That in fact, is how the store got its name (7 Eleven). Motels p...
S.H. Kress achieved a unique architectural distinction in both defining a brand identity while simultaneously fitting in with the five-and-dime market and the local main street character of each town. He was a pioneer in creating company brand identity through a “signature storefront”. He viewed his buildings as an advertisement and each store had some components that were standardized, reflecting the popular assembly line approach at that time, while other components varied based on the location to fit within each town culture.
Identity crisis- When change was necessary they ended up only to created confusion for their market segment; is it casual, family, fine dining, steak/burger, etc..
Smiling faces, beautiful women and “American made” were the typical elements in advertisements during this decade. DDB’s first “big idea” behind the campaign was no different; The main goal was to make the Volkswagen more American by shooting Suzy Parker standing next to a Volkswagen. It wasn’t until after visiting the production line and watching the step by step production of the Volkswagen did DDB strike gold with an innovate new “big idea.” What resonated with the American advertising team the most during this visit was the incredible quality control of the German factory, thus they decided on “an honest car promoted with Honesty.”
As demand for automobiles grew to unexpected heights in the 1920s, General Motors set the pace of production, design, and marketing innovation for others to follow. During their success in the 20’s GM added overseas operations, “ including
Harley-Davidson was founded in 1903 by William Harley and Arthur Davidson and continued to grow throughout the First and Second World Wars, before being absorbed by American Machine and Foundry (AMF) in 1969 (James & Graham, 2004; Johan Van & Brian, 2000). Facing stiff completion from Japanese motorcycle manufacturers, AMF sold Harley to a group of executives led by Jeff Bluestein and Vaughn Beal (James & Graham, 2004; Teerlink & Ozley, 2000). A tariff on imported heavyweight motorcycles and a public offering put Harley-Davidson on sound financial footing. Richard Teerlink joined the company in 1987 as President and brought about substantial structural change working with consultant Lee Ozley (Teerlink & Ozley, 2000). Today, Harley-Davidson is a cultural phenomenon consisting of Harley-Davidson Credit and Insurance, ...
in this segment are often brand conscious and enjoy the latest fads and trends. They...
In the 1900’s advertising began to accelerate even faster with the expansion of the United States both physically and eco...
The presence of a business heritage provides a business with a differentiating strategy. Trout and Rivkin confirm that a long and successful past leads consumers to believe that the business must being doing something right; the company must be producing a reputable and dependable product or service that is providing for the needs of its customers (2008, p. 125). Owning the differentiating strategy of business heritage powerfully creates a positive image of confidence in the minds of consumers. Authors Trout and Rivkin describe two specific types of heritage that a business could own to differentiate itself.
The trends that have been most instrumental in the shaping of America over the past sixty years have been suburbanization and the development of our consumer culture. These two phenomena have changed not only the face of America, but also the fabric of our society, our values and aspirations. Suburbanization and consumer culture are broad, sweeping terms that encompass many different catalysts of change. However, the automobile is an important product and tool of both of these institutions. This paper examines the inundation of American society by the automobile during the post war era as a key catalyst for the rise of consumer culture, its role in facilitating suburbanization and some of the negative impacts the automobile has had on America. Over the past sixty years America has changed greatly to become what it is today, and these changes have largely been driven by our national love affair with the automobile.