For decades, founder Uwe ‘The Archaeologist’ Ehinger has been travelling the world as a collector and retailer of rare Harley Davidson motorcycles from the 1930s and 40s.

We crafted a gin that contains original parts from the old machines. We bottled it together with the machine parts and labelled each bottle with the mind-boggling story of the part’s origin.

Every element of the hand-made packaging consists of colours and materials that were already used in the 30s and 40s.

Fans could finally actually taste the spirit of vintage Harley Davidsons and let it become a part of them.

Overall Budget

45.000€

Breakdown of Costs

Production of custom-made bottles: 17.500€

Production of labels and cartons: 21.500€

Work on Website: 6.000€

Paid media Budget

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After a month-long phase of exploring ways how to get the old machine parts food-safely into the bottle, beginning in July 2016, we finally developed an appropriate process. By carving a bore into the bottles’ bottoms and inserting a stainless-steel base with a weld-on machine part, we created the core object. A matching packaging design was conducted, which perfectly represents the craftsmanship of the era in which the parts were designed. To convey the fascinating stories of the finding of the motorcycles and the respective parts, we printed them on the wrapping paper. Finally, we defined three varieties to represent the favourite builds of Uwe Ehinger himself, and three highly sought-after models from the golden age of motorcycling, at the same time. Each bottle is as unique as the the part itself, everything is handmade.

The first limited edition of The Archaeologist was a great success: 100% response rate for units sent to potential customers. Sold out online in just two weeks. A significant increase in visitors to the shop. Consequently, the Ehinger Kraftrad ordering book is full. And Uwe is on the road again to collect ingredients for the next edition of The Archaeologist.

'The Archaeologist' is an unusual approach to get in touch with the consumer of a very rare and specific product: custom made motorcycles. By inviting them to a tasting of a glass of gin that has been distilled with an actual part of an old motorcycle in it, enabled them to get a literal taste of what Ehinger Kraftrad is doing.

And by letting them taste the parts of the old machines themselves, we rewarded loyal customers and gave semi-decisive customers further reason to buy an Ehinger Kraftrad.

Our target group is mainly male with a household income above 5.000 €. They focus on individuality and quality. An off-the-shelf Harley Davidson would not do for them, therefore, they address the expert, the legend, the Archaeologist. Since the crowd is so specialized, they mainly consult social media to learn about new products.

The EK Instagram account alone counts 25.000 followers, which is huge for a relatively small company like that. We therefore focused on social media activities and had followers and fans informed about ‘The Archaeologist’, accompanied by an invitation to stop by the shop to have a sip of motorcycle history. A special-made microsite provided information about the gin, and a link to the shop made ‘The Archaeologist’ obtainable for fans of the brand. Select loyal customers were rewarded with a bottle sent to them as a gift.

Situation

Ehinger Kraftrad is a one-of-a-kind motorcycle custom shop. Their products, rebuilts of vintage motorcycles from the 1930s and 40s, are very specific and rare. And so are their clients.

Brief

We needed to find a promotional item that drove customers to the shop in order to experience the brand – and spend time with its maker, Uwe Ehinger. At the same time, it was important to convey Uwe’s excessive aspiration for craftsmanship and quality in every detail.

Objectives

Finding a way to get customers to experience the spirit of Ehinger Kraftrad.

Making it representative with regards to craftsmanship, quality and detail.

Making the idea of preserving old motorcycles in an unconventional way tangible.

Do not aim for as many customers as possible, aim for the right customers who value quality, individuality and craftsmanship.

Reward loyal customers with a bottle as a gift.