A week ago, Zulu Alpha Kilo launched an innovation in helmets championed today by Pfaff Harley-Davidson, the Tough Turban. It responded to a need of Sikh motorcycle enthusiasts for whom their turban is important culturally and a helmet is important for their safety. The Tough Turban combines both. It features emerging technologies in protective gear like non-Newtonian foam that hardens on impact, 3D-printed chainmail and a composite fabric used in bullet-proof clothing.
Zulu Alpha Kilo open-sourced the full design considerations for the prototype and released them online, enabling any manufacturer in the world access to the virtual blueprint to make their version of a reinforced turban for riders in their region. Details are available on a specially created mini-site to support the Tough Turban concept here.
After launch, the new turban was shared and championed by the Sikh community globally. In fact, it’s being used in the UK to re-evaluate their helmet laws. British Sikhs are ready to ask their government to change their helmet laws as reported by The Times of India.
And within 48 hours of the launch, the agency also had numerous inquiries for partnerships from global manufacturers and international scientists have reached out to test it and bring it to life on a mass scale outside Canada.
Here is the turban’s story:
“Pfaff Harley-Davidson is proud to help champion an idea that celebrates the diversity of our ridership. We are honoured to help advance the cause of diverse gear and to help build awareness for the potential of the innovation amongst our vast community of riders across Canada and around the world,” explained Brandon Durmann, brand marketing specialist at Pfaff Harley-Davidson.
“The Tough Turban further empowers Sikh riders to protect who they are,” added Zak Mroueh, founder and chief creative officer of Zulu. “This initiative combines a lot of things we’re glad to focus on at Zulu Alpha Kilo – inclusion, innovation and our core belief in using design thinking to solve real world problems.”
The idea came from the team of Dan Cummings and Vic Bath, who is from a Sikh background. He was inspired by his father, who grew up in a small village in India and dreamed of owning a Harley-Davidson, which to him was the ultimate symbol of freedom.
Zulu Alpha Kilo partnered with Spark Innovations to construct the preliminary design of the Tough Turban.
Credits:
Client: Pfaff Harley-Davidson
Client Team: Brandon Durmann, Melanie Somerville
Agency: Zulu Alpha Kilo
Chief Creative Officer & Creative Director: Zak Mroueh
Head of Design: Stephanie Yung
Associate Creative Director & Art Director: Vic Bath
Associate Creative Director & Writer: Dan Cummings
Designers: Jeff Watkins & Rasna Jaswal
Agency Producers: Colleen Allen, Laura Dubcovsky, Tom Evans & Kathryn Brown
Account Team: Rob Feightner, Matt Sinuita, David Trembley & Allison Diaz Mercado
Strategy Team: Spencer MacEachern & Shaunagh Farrelly
Product Design: Sparks Innovation
Production House: Zulubot
Director: Barbara Shearer
DOP: James Arthurs
Editor: Jessie Posthumus
Moton Graphics: Ashlee Mitchell
Illustrator: Nabil Elsaadi
Audio Engineer: Dino Cuzzolino
Web Design: Jacqui Lau & Kesia Payne
Photographer: Dan Lim @ The Moto Foto
Online Artist: Felipe Chaparro
Head of Production: Adam Palmer
