Harley-Davidson gets to Common Ground, bringing international riders to Canada

A new online docu-series and Discovery Channel special from Harley-Davison is inviting viewers to tag along on a life-changing journey across Canada with riders from India, Mexico and New Zealand.  Harley-Davidson’s online documentary series Common Ground is also getting ready for primetime with a one hour special airing this Saturday on Discovery Channel. Harley-Davison is inviting viewers to tag along on a life-changing journey across Canada with riders from India, Mexico and New Zealand.

Called Common Ground, their epic journey celebrates 100 years of the historic Harley-Davidson brand in Canada – and the fact that Harley riders are as diverse as the country itself. Part foreign exchange and part road trip, the 3-part online series sees each of the three riders paired with a Canadian host that they’re meeting for the first time. Together, they venture off on a six-day exploration of the Great White North.

The series is being hosted online and has already revved up millions of views. Discovery Canada is also airing one-hour special of the documentary on its website and airing it on national TV this coming Saturday.

From the winding roads of the Maritime coast to the urban jungle of Toronto and the rugged mountain terrain of the Canadian West, the riders embark on a physical journey, but also an emotional one too, as they learn about each other and the common ground that connects them.

Common Ground is a co-production between award-winning Toronto-based agency Zulu Alpha Kilo’s content studio, zulubot, and Artifact Nonfiction out of New York.

To promote the series, Zulu also worked with renowned illustrator Adi Gilbert of 99seconds on stylized posters of riders on Harley bikes set against different Canadian landscapes. The posters became so sought after as works of art that people began tearing them down from construction barricades and other public displays to keep as collectors’ items.

The fact that the Discovery Channel is doing a special on our series shows that branded content can be entertaining, enlightening and cross borders (…) For 100 years, Harley-Davidson has had a strong Canadian history. The brand has also become diverse in its rider base, and so we knew that every rider that saw these stories would relate.

Zak Mroueh,

Chief Creative Officer and Founder at Zulu

 

Jay Owen, Marketing Director of Harley-Davidson Canada:

We wanted to tap into an inherent passion that every rider from around the world shared. Seeing what we have accomplished is a true testament to this brand and its 100 years in Canada, as well as its legacy around the world.

Credits:

Client: Harley-Davidson Canada

Agency: Zulu Alpha Kilo

Chief Creative Officer: Zak Mroueh

Executive Creative Director: Allen Oke

Associate Creative Directors: Noel Fenn, Andrew Caie

Art Director: Brendan McMullen, Andrea Romanelli (print)

Writer: Jacob Pacey

Designer: Ryan Booth

Agency Producer: Pam Portsmouth, Kari Macknight Dearborn (print)

Account Team: David Tremblay, Kerry McKibbin, Lance Kowlessar, Alice Ko

Strategic Planner: Heidi Philip, Jamie Cuthbertson

Clients: Ignacio Isusi, Jay Owen, Vesa Mikkola, Marco DiGiantomasso

Media Agency: Team Ignite

Media Agency Planner: Brian Gault, Jamie Camden

Production House: Artifact Nonfiction/zulubot

Director: David Grabias

Production House Producer: Bryce Brentlinger Anne Edgar

Director of Photography: John Tran

Video Post Facility / Editing Company: zulubot

Editor: Jay Baker, Micah Rix-Hayes, Rod Christie

Compositor / Online: RedLab

Transfer: RedLab

Colourist: Jason Zukowski

Audio Post Facility/Music House: RedLab

Audio Director: Sonny Keyes

Producer: Jodie Moore

Engineer: Sonny Keyes

Illustrator: Adi Gilbert – 99 Seconds

Digital Imaging: Brandon Dyson, Jim Tinios

Mac Artist: Greg Heptinstall; Brandon Dyson