That's right. Screw it.

I love Harley Davidson. And not just because most owners seem to be middle-aged, grey-haired, bearded guys like me.

No. It's because of this ad. (Click the ad to enlarge it and make it easier to read.)

"So screw it, let's ride." What a perfectly wonderful way to look at whatever you want to call these times we're in. Here at N+H central, we happen to believe that tough economic times are an opportunity. (See previous post here.) But not if you bury your head in the sand and wait for things to turn around all by their own self.

And it gets better. The call to action ("Agree? Then visit . . ." ) drives you to a dedicated Harley page that lets you make your own statement and tells them exactly who responded to the ad. Smart people.

I found the ad in this week's Ad Age in an article about how some advertisers are "hammering away too much on the negatives in their marketing these days". Harley has a different take on it. They believe that their customers are "a little rebellious and resilient when they're told things aren't good" says their chief marketing officer.

It's a good article.

But it's a great ad.