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.

Bottles’ bottoms with inserted stainless-steel base and weld-on machine part. Matching packaging design represents the craftsmanship of the era in which the machine parts were designed. Stories of the finding of the parts are printed on the wrapping paper. Everything is handmade.

Every detail of the packaging is a meticulous rendition of the packaging technology of the era in which the contained bike parts have originally been crafted.

The Bottle:

Custom-made clear glass with bottom-side counterbore by Karl Schmid glassworks; original vintage machine part welded on a stainless-steel socket by Wolfrik Fischer studio

Paper and cardboard:

Maren Thomsen, ‚Les Naturals’, sand, anthracite and alabaster white

Finish:

Crucible printing press hot foil stamping

Inks:

Red: Kurz Luxor 307 (matches Pantone 8863)

Gold: Kurz Luxor 381 (matches Pantone 871)

Silver: Kurz Alufin Spezial (matches Pantone 877)

Black: Tecnofoil 499

‘The Archaeologist’ set a great example for how much dedication and attention to detail and authenticity Ehinger Kraftrad put into their work. The first batch was out of stock in no time – despite its hearty pricetag. Customer feedback showed that the gin was also used as an identificational item that showed the buyer's love for the brand and what it stands for. Some even used the gin to 'baptise' a new motorcycle before going for a ride for the first time. That way, our product found its way into a much deeper, more cultural context. ‚The Archaeologist’ made a strong contribution to a better understanding of the brand's meaning and perpetuated the cultural heritage within the scene.

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.

Project scale & volume: 90 bottles altogether, wrapped and boxed.