Japanese motorcycle dealer Bike King has a new ad campaign featuring the artwork of Shuichi Shigeno. There are a lot of parallels between his first hit manga, Bari Bari Densetsu, and his follow-up Initial D, but his beautiful illustrations and detailed knowledge of machinery is the standout in both series. Bari Bari Densetsu was responsible for a huge motorcycle boom in the 1980s, and the ad campaign plays on that nostalgia.
The campaign began February 2, and features print ads, a TV commercial, and billboards. Famous scenes from the manga — touge battles, a motorcycle date, and the highs and lows of the Suzuka 4 Hours enduro — will be part of a large billboard at Shinjuku Station’s east-west passage, a major thoroughfare.
The ads describe a love for bikes and even include some English copy:
Our mission is not simply to buy and sell motorcycles. It is to pass on the love for bikes to the next rider and the next generation. Motorcycle are far from convenient; they are machines that cannot run without love. Our business only exists because of the riders who pour their hearts into these machines. With deep respect and gratitude for everyone who shares this passion, we strive to provide even better service.
The TV commercials feature the same artwork. However, it also ads the sound of a Honda CB750F, Bari Bari Densetsu‘s star motorcycle, at speed. There’s also a lottery where customers can win Bari Bari Densetsu-themed t-shirts, tote bags and gift cards.
The ads are very simple with plain white backgrounds and red text that echo ones that appeared last year for Shigeno’s latest series, Subaru and Subaru. It’s the motorcycle equivalent of hearing the notes of a 4AG emanating from a TV as images of Takumi in his AE86 appear.
Images courtesy of Bike King.
