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After we ran our story in April about sonic branding, and listed six brands that have made the most of the way they sound, our ears were all perked up. And what we heard, to our chagrin, was that we neglected to mention a big one.
“How could they miss Harley-Davidson?” John Petillo asked on LinkedIn.
How indeed.
The motorcycle brand describes the sound that its V-twin engine makes as “potato-potato-potato.” And the sound is so recognizable and so central to the brand identity that in 1994, Harley-Davidson applied to have it trademarked.
After six years of a veritable biker rally of other brands—including Yamaha, Honda, and Kawasaki—opposing the trademark application, Harley-Davidson withdrew the application in 2000.
But, like its bike, Harley didn’t just ride off quietly.
“If our customers know the sound cannot be imitated, that’s good enough for me and for Harley-Davidson,” Joanne Bischmann, who at the time was the company’s vice president, told the Los Angeles Times in 2000.
Original article: Six brands that have made the most of how they sound