2022 Winner

CASE SUMMARY

Harley-Davidson is a brand built on a love for the open road, and its riders are passionate for the freedom that it offers.

For decades, Sikhs who rode motorcycles found themselves choosing between their beliefs and their safety. In 2018, the Ontario government passed legislation that exempts Sikh men from the law requiring all motorcycle riders to wear protective helmets. The law was a hard-won step forward, but it also introduced a critical question: How could Sikh riders engage in their passion and still ensure their safety while riding without a traditional helmet?

This created an interesting and unusual challenge for Harley-Davidson: Could it develop an alternative to a motorcycle helmet so Sikh motorcyclists would no longer have to choose between their beliefs and their safety? Harley-Davidson attracts riders of all cultures, yet it’s often perceived to be the choice of old white men.

Through conversations with Sikh riders, an interesting historical fact was discovered. In ancient times, Sikh warriors would go into battle with chain mail woven into the fabric of their turbans. This provided protection without violating religious tenets. It sparked this thought: Why couldn’t a modern-day equivalent be created to provide the safety that Sikhs deserve? It also led to the insight driving the initiative: with the right motorcycle gear, Sikh riders could be empowered to protect who they are.

Tough Turban is a marriage of ancient traditions and modern, high-tech engineering. It’s a turban made of impact-resistant materials that also fully respects the requirements of the Sikh faith. Armed with a powerful concept, they assembled their team of industrial design experts with experience in 3D printing and composite fabrics used in bulletproof clothing. About half the overall fabric is normal turban material, but the outer layers include Dyneema, a 3D-printed carbon-fibre take on chain mail, and non-Newtonian foam, which is pliable but hardens instantly on impact.

At the centre is a website housing a video that profiles several Sikh riders and highlights how the turban was engineered. Open-sourced production files for the turban were published to enable manufacturers anywhere in the world to produce the turbans in their own markets. PR support outlining the initiative launched in early June, including posts on all of Pfaff Harley-Davidson’s social channels.

Tough Turban generated overnight attention, with reports running in 171 US media outlets, 54 in Canada, 18 in the UK, and 11 in India. Total circulation of the media coverage in the first two weeks alone was 238.8 million, with an advertising value of $2.19 million.

Through a post-launch survey to gauge its impact, they learned that 83% found Harley-Davidson more inclusive, 85% were more likely to consider buying a Harley-Davidson after watching the video, and 88% were more likely to agree that Harley-Davidson is welcoming to people from different backgrounds.

Three manufacturers have reached out to explore large-scale production, including the world’s largest producer of two-wheeled motorized vehicles. It has even prompted British Sikhs to ask their government for exemptions to workplace safety helmets.

Credits

Agency: Zulu Alpha Kilo
Creative Director & Chief Creative Officer: Zak Mroueh
Head of Design: Stephanie Yung
ACD Art Director: Vic Bath
ACD Writer: Dan Cummings
Designer: Jeff Watkins, Rasna Jaswal
Agency Producer: Laura Dubcovsky, Kathryn Brown
Account Team: Rob Feightner, Matt Sinuita, David Trembley, Karla Ramirez, Allison Diaz Mercado
Strategy Team: Spencer MacEachern, Shaunagh Farrelly
Client: Pfaff Harley-Davidson
Client: Brandon Durmann, Melanie Somerville
Product Design: Sparks Innovation
Production House: Zulubot
Executive Producer: Tom Evans
Line Producer: Colleen Allen
Director: Barbara Shearer
DOP James Arthurs
Editor: Jessie Posthumus
Motion Graphics: Ashlee Mitchell
Illustrator: Nabil Elsaadi
Audio Engineer: Dino Cuzzolino
Web Design: Jacqui Lau, Kesia Payne
Photographer: The Moto Foto | Dan Lim
Photographers: The Moto Foto | Dan Lim. Raina + Wilson | Fuze Reps.
Online Artist: Felipe Chaparro
Head of Production: Adam Palmer