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Riding high after 100 years, Harley-Davidson celebrates in world-class fashion thanks to a traveling exhibit by Pentagram Design and FTL Design Engineering Studio
When it comes to motorcycles, Harley-Davidson isn't just a brand name. For many enthusiasts, it's a way of life. It's certainly come a long way from the blueprint 21-year-old William Harley crafted in 1901 of an engine designed to fit a bicycle, or the first bike Harley and Arthur Davidson released two years later. So, when Harley-Davidson's centennial anniversary rolled around in 2003, company employees and Harley enthusiasts were ready to celebrate with more than a little pomp and circumstance. A day-long event would hardly suffice. Instead, the company launched a 14-month-long celebration that roared into existence with The Open Road Tour, a 10-city, globe trotting festival and exhibit.
"We wanted to give something to the customers and also to people who weren't necessarily Harley-Davidson riders," says Ileen Gallagher, a consultant from ISG Production who worked on the project. To craft an exhibit to walk that fine line, the company turned to Pentagram Design.
Totaling 60,000 sq. ft., the exhibition comprised four tents, each organized around one of four themes: Journey, Culture, Ride, and Machine. The tents were linked by a cohesive identity featuring the theme names in Harley-Davidson's signature black and orange colors and translated in English, Spanish, Japanese, and German. But, while the Journey, Ride, and Culture tents were similar rectangular venues, the Machine tent was...