Harley-Davidson Celebrates 120 Years in Style

When Harley-Davidson approached Bridgewater about designing an event space to showcase 5 new, state-of-the-art motorcycles during its annual Homecoming celebration in the greater Milwaukee area, we knew it was an opportunity to be part of something epic. After all, the legendary brand is as American as apple pie and blue jeans.

The Challenge

Our task was to design an experience that illustrated the design process and engineering excellence exhibited in the latest CVO motorcycles, all while staying true to a highly recognized and beloved brand. With tens of thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts expected, the exhibit would need to be durable while encouraging guests to directly interact with the machines and displays.

Strategy

The event space was a large, open room, so we used black tubular metal trusses to delineate spaces and provide options for mounting signage and additional lighting. Pedestals were conceived as a way to showcase and literally elevate each bike. Because the client wanted the exhibit to be travel-ready, all components needed to be easily broken down and reassembled.

Design

The overall aesthetic needed to have an almost museum-like quality – emphasizing the innovation, technology, and bespoke design elements of each machine. We leveraged brand colors throughout the displays – including orange LEDs around the perimeter of each pedestal – and vinyl graphics on the floor to create a feeling of brand immersion and showcase how Harley-Davidson uses art and science to generate experience and emotion.

Production

All components were produced at Bridgewater Studio and shipped to Milwaukee for installation. Highlights included custom, LED-lit motorcycle pedestals, seamless backlit lightboxes with printed graphics, modular concrete monoliths, and vinyl floor graphics. Our Director of Retail Strategy worked closely with the client from inception through installation, and the Bridgewater team installed all components on site a few days prior to the 3-day celebration.