A Toast To Harley Davidson And Miller Brewing Partnership

Miller High Life and Harley-Davidson Inc., both Milwaukee, WI-based companies celebrating their 110th anniversaries this year, have struck up a partnership to highlight their history.

Located across the street from each other in Milwaukee, the two brands have been aligned since Miller’s sponsorship of Harley-Davidson’s 90th anniversary celebration in 1993. They came together again for Harley’s 95th, 100th, and 105th anniversaries, and turned out a Miller Lite/Harley-Davidson stock car for Nascar events in 2000.

The relationship will result in the usual co-branding such as HD beer cans and Miller logo’d motorcycles.

We can’t think of a single automaker that wouldn’t slam the brakes on a marketing partnership with a beer company for, well, obvious reasons.

But for Harley and Miller…the bond seems obvious. The Thought-Tech gang believes Miller has much to gain from this partnership. Harley Davidson was rated #96 by Interbrand in its 2012 Top 100 Global Brand ranking. Harley Davidson fans are rabid. Miller is not even on the list.

This co-branding relationship, in our opinion, does not foster drinking and driving. People that combine those two activities will do so regardless of what logo is on the can/bottle.

There is however an apparent common affinity among beer drinkers and Harley riders and Harley wannabes. The Miller/Harley collaboration is pretty much a sure-thing for both brands.

And that’s why we see this partnership a better fit than say a Harley inspired Barbie doll.

The 110-year old companies will cap off their summer of love will culminate with a major event and concerts in Milwaukee over Labor Day weekend.