Peanuts
How to sell a lifestyle
Hello! Welcome to your weekly dose of INSPO ✨
The ad we’re going to look at today was not designed for paid social but the rules of good advertising really haven’t changed that much. There’s still a lot to learn from these old print ads, stuff that’s often ignored in today’s fast-paced world. So for me, they’re still worth studying.
Ad breakdown
Harley Davidson produced a few of these ads (works of art).
This one is by far my favourite.
And it makes me want a bike (exactly what it’s designed to do).
Die-hard motorbike fans already live this life.
This ad is not for them.
This ad is for the person that’s once thought ‘that would be cool’ but never followed through on getting a bike.
It’s designed to nudge people who haven’t yet taken the plunge but have always wanted to over the edge.
And in doing so, it puts Harley Davidson at the forefront of their minds.
It works because it doesn’t sell a product, it sells a lifestyle.
Struggling to open a bag of peanuts in a cramped seat isn’t cool.
Riding a bike across the plains of America is.
👉 The beautiful image instantly grabs the attention of the right people. Anyone who’s ever even considered riding a motorbike can’t help but feel a sense of freedom and adventure looking at this image.
👉 The headline speaks to a tiny moment that’s highly relatable for anyone who’s travel via aircraft (still relevant today) and reminds the reader of the frustrations that come with flying, the lack of space, the lack of freedom.
👉 The body copy the taps into the benefits of riding a bike, not a Harley but just a bike in general. The space, the sunlight, the sound of the engine being the only thing you can hear for miles. The freedom.
There’s no list of product features, there’s no price and there’s no product name, there’s barely even a mention of the brand apart from that small logo down in the righthand corner.
Why?
Because that’s what an ad speaking to an unaware audience should look like.
On paid social, far too often creative tries to speak to everyone with every angle at the same time.
This is your reminder to take a step back and remind yourself who you’re trying to speak to and where they are in the awareness journey, then find the best way to talk to them.
How to make this work for your brand
If you want to bring new people into the market for your product, this is the kind of ad you want to be thinking about. It’s not about benefits or features, it’s about the lifestyle. What’s the desire your product fulfils?
🪩 Identify the truth or emotion that ties your audience together, what’s something they can all wholeheartedly agree on? e.g. travel is better on a bike than a plane
🪩 Start with the headline/concept and then find a visual that strengthens it.
🪩 Don’t worry about getting your brand or product into the headline or even the body copy, just focus on selling the dream.
Give this a go and let me know how you get on 💪🏼
Happy ad making,
Katherine 🪩
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