Remember some months ago a conversation here with Roger and others considering who is becoming the new market segment for HD bikes. Future riders aren't like most of us who do HD almost despite the company sometimes. And certainly it seems all too often to spite ourselves.
The most current generation and those that follow have grown up with all the data available to comparison shop before they ever leave the house. Their tastes are quite simply different as well. They may be intersted in an image. They may even interested or amused by the "Harley image." But it's not the foremost concern. It really does seem that something is going to actually have to be a good, modern and reliable machine first before the image can come to play.
In response to that change in its client base Harley continues, at least in this ad, to market image. So.... we know they're a bit "slow" at times. Guess it shouldn't surprise that this manifests across more than one area.
Sad thing is it wouldn't be that difficult to begin cross the bridge more aggressively if there was the product to support the claims. They could combine image and reliability, feeling and fact, emotion and modernity's reliability.
If there was currently the product and network to back it up something as simple as two still images side by side. On the left a bike setting on an open road. Some beautiful vista evoking the emotion the most of us recognize immediately. The other half of the frame put a Kevlar jacket with a slug's dent prominently seen. Two words across the top of the image "Twin Cam." Two words across the bottom "Bullet Proof."
Something that simple gets a message across that says far more than "hey stupid, if you like feeling like you're a bad boy come give us $20k." Advertising that only says that much, while cute or even amusing, is also a little insulting. I don't think that works with the new crop.