Royal Enfeild In Gut We Trust Man on Motorcycle

Royal Enfield Unleashes the Wild with the Bear 650

The campaign, created by Droga5 London, embodies the spirit of adventure and non-conformity, harking back to the iconic Big Bear Run of the 1960s

By Creative Salon

13 November 2024

Motorcycle manufacturer, Royal Enfield, is partnering with Droga5 London to reignite the spirit of adventure. The collaboration, which began with the launch of the Himalayan 450 in 2023, aims to further cement Royal Enfield's position as a brand that embodies the spirit of exploration and non-conformity.

Harking back to 1960’s California, the bike builds on Eddie Mulder’s iconic victory in the Big Bear Run: a wild point-to-point race across Big Bear Lake in Southern California where more than 500 racers competed for the top spot. A newcomer to the scene, and only 16 years old, Eddie Mulder won on a Royal Enfield, embedding the brand in the legend of Big Bear.

The campaign, “In Gut We Trust”, comprises a 75” film and 8 key visuals, alongside 33 editorial images consolidated into a launch brochure, and takes inspiration from Eddie’s gutsy performance.

Adarsh Saxena, global brand lead - adventure, at Royal Enfield, said: “While bikes may have come a long way since the 1960s, the mentality of riders and the importance of trusting their gut, remains the same. We wanted the design of the Bear to be reminiscent of those times, and build on the iconic Interceptor model. That’s why it made sense to reimagine what those iconic 60s ads would look like today for the launch campaign.”

Droga5 London worked with photographer and director Elliot James Kennedy, who focused on bringing movement, energy and a level of gritty determination to the shots. Building on this attitude he used orange acrylic paint for the key visuals, echoing iconic bike posters from the 60’s, to accent the imagery. This crafted touch is emphasised with handmade Letraset headlines.

Design director, and creative lead, Matteo Alabiso said: “It’s not everyday you get to launch a product with such a rich history. With the Bear 650, Royal Enfield have reimagined what Eddie Mulder’s bike would have been like today. Our design language used the same approach. We looked back at techniques and trends of the time and reinterpreted them under a contemporary light.”

Highlighting the mindset of trusting your gut, Droga5’s approach gives substance to a category that is traditionally defined by aesthetics, rather than leaning into the reality of motorcycling: the fast moving, gut decisions that characterise the riding experience of a tuned-up scrambler.

The accompanying film begins with a voiceover where Eddie describes the start of a desert race. The piece of moving image sees a young rider follow in Eddie’s footsteps by riding across the desert on a Bear 650, with the visuals chopping and changing to match the quick decision making necessary in a point-to-point race.

The campaign will debut in November across out-of-home, social media and digital and run in North America, India and Europe.