• Welcome, Guest! We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMW MOA forum provides. Some forum content will be hidden from you if you remain logged out. If you want to view all content, please click the 'Log in' button above and enter your BMW MOA username and password.

    If you are not an MOA member, why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the BMW Owners News magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMW MOA offers?

Country Store Items?

Darryl Cainey

Sir Darby
Having just returned from the MOA Rally in St. Paul MN I was very impressed with the new format Country Store and all the new
items that the MOA is offering. Are the new items going to be listed on-line?

Sorry if this is not the right place to ask this!
 
Darryl,

Right side of Home Page, line item 6 below Picture of the Week "BUY Your MOA Merchandise". No longer called Country Store. Happy shopping.
 
everything is great, except for logo.....wait for it.....

What Logo? I don't see a logo. Now if we were a space program... Perhaps...
But hey... No one knows a motorcycle club like a focus group...
The members of said club certainly don't or they'd have been asked. :brow
 
ugg

Man I look around and see these Harley patches, jackets and then there's our tiny little NASA/DARPA logo, so explain to me why would I buy anything from the store when I have to go buy other patches or get something stitched on there that says....BMW Motorcycles. I just don't get the idea behind the logo, to me, the MOA would make more money with something that shows who we are, something that shows a little pride in what we ride....just my two cents.
 
am i missing somthing

Well our logo goes counterintuitive to that article or is there a 4th type of logo- a small, tiny, non-descriptive logo that in no way shape or form represents us. Don't know why I even brought this up, oh wait - I know...I was trying to find a place to put that moa patch on but realized its just not worth it. And did you notice the big words I used.....now I have a headache!:violin
Not bitching about the group as a whole, just the logo.......
 
Folks: The logo is what the logo is. Bitch, moan, wimper, it is what it is. I don't like it. But guess what. It avoids the conflict with the registered trademark "BMW" (yes the three letters) and the Roundel. I personally hold the mark "Silly Looking Goofy German Motorcycles of America" which any of you are totally free to use to your hearts content. Otherwise - the MOA logo is what the MOA logo is - until a new Board does something different. Run for the Board if you are absolutely sure you have a better idea the @#$% lawers will approve. Be our hero. Or bitch till hell freezes over which will simply be wasted breath or wasted electrons. (Note: several scotch drinks contributed to this post, but there is a funeral tomorrow which contributes to my current state of mind ..... RIP Mark (Not a rider but a friend).
 
Playing the Cards We're Dealt

This is meant to provide perspective rather than being argumentative. These are the cards we were dealt to us by BMW. The current Board, a new Board or anyone else for that matter, can't design something more free because of the rules surrounding the use of the name BMW and the roundel. There certainly could be other designs, but it has to fit inside a specific space, it has to work with BMW's CI format and it CANNOT use the words BMW. Someone may come with a better design than what we have today and it could fit within the constraints, but is still won't be what you want because the design rules are so restrictive.

The difference between HOG and the MOA is that Harley owns HOG. They can license the use of the name, logo and image to their benefit. We do not own the wordmark BMW and BMW grants a specific license of how the word or the roundel can be used. If you take a look from the inside, you would see 99% of the logo designs that you would like to design shot down by BMW. The guidelines are that restrictive.

So, we are left with something compliant or paying attorneys a whole bunch of money to fight an international intellectual property rights fight that we can never win. BMW will always have more resources than we do to fight this fight. A lengthy court battle could easily sink the club if we decided to go that route.

The reality is our mark will never be one of the top five brands in the world. And for someone who works on it daily and has great pride in what we do, that is disheartening. Any of us who work in brand marketing want to be associated with an iconic brand that is recognized as best in class. Unfortunately, the rules of the game we play prevent that from being a reality and our next move is to make the absolute best of it.

This has been going on for better than five years. I know some are new to the discussion and that is fine. But, don't believe that there hasn't been a tremendous amount of discussion, thought, research and design work behind the scenes to make the best possible scenario for the organization. Quote all the text books you like, but BMW holds the gold and the rules on this one.

Love it or hate it, we have a mark that you recognize and know that the holder of that mark is a fellow member. In the end, that is what I want to know. Even if you dislike the logo, when you look to the other side of the gas pumps and see a MOA sticker, you know you have found a friend. That is more important to the organization than selling a t-shirt. I fly my stickers whether I like them or not so that everyone knows I am the MOA.
 
This thread reminds me of the Kingston Trio's "the Merry Minuet" song.............I camp in Jackass Hollow so pay me no mind.......
 
This is meant to provide perspective rather than being argumentative. These are the cards we were dealt to us by BMW. The current Board, a new Board or anyone else for that matter, can't design something more free because of the rules surrounding the use of the name BMW and the roundel. There certainly could be other designs, but it has to fit inside a specific space, it has to work with BMW's CI format and it CANNOT use the words BMW. Someone may come with a better design than what we have today and it could fit within the constraints, but is still won't be what you want because the design rules are so restrictive.

The difference between HOG and the MOA is that Harley owns HOG. They can license the use of the name, logo and image to their benefit. We do not own the wordmark BMW and BMW grants a specific license of how the word or the roundel can be used. If you take a look from the inside, you would see 99% of the logo designs that you would like to design shot down by BMW. The guidelines are that restrictive.

So, we are left with something compliant or paying attorneys a whole bunch of money to fight an international intellectual property rights fight that we can never win. BMW will always have more resources than we do to fight this fight. A lengthy court battle could easily sink the club if we decided to go that route.

The reality is our mark will never be one of the top five brands in the world. And for someone who works on it daily and has great pride in what we do, that is disheartening. Any of us who work in brand marketing want to be associated with an iconic brand that is recognized as best in class. Unfortunately, the rules of the game we play prevent that from being a reality and our next move is to make the absolute best of it.

This has been going on for better than five years. I know some are new to the discussion and that is fine. But, don't believe that there hasn't been a tremendous amount of discussion, thought, research and design work behind the scenes to make the best possible scenario for the organization. Quote all the text books you like, but BMW holds the gold and the rules on this one.

Love it or hate it, we have a mark that you recognize and know that the holder of that mark is a fellow member. In the end, that is what I want to know. Even if you dislike the logo, when you look to the other side of the gas pumps and see a MOA sticker, you know you have found a friend. That is more important to the organization than selling a t-shirt. I fly my stickers whether I like them or not so that everyone knows I am the MOA.

We get all that. And all the times it's been harped over too. The issue that always comes up is to HOW it came about.
It was/is my understanding that all of this was done "off site" or "behind the scenes" as I keep hearing... Kinda like someones agency got a no bid contract ran it through a focus group w/ a prepackaged set of instructions to "validate" it. Never was the MOA membership involved w/ this huge "rebranding" (for lack of a better term). Then handed to us w/ a stamp of approval and told this is the most awesome piece of art to adorn our bikes. Nothing could be further from the truth.

toads.png
As an identifier, the MOA in a Black and White reflective Oval would suffice.


It is such a radical change from prior works... There was no gradual shift incorporating old elements into the new. Even using the old "globe" would have eased "sticker Shock", pun intended.
Hey... This is all my opinion and it too not meant to argumentative.

Oh... And enough of the lawyer schtick. I hate being reminded how litigious we Americans are.
If BMW? is asking us to be removed from our praise parade... Perhaps we shouldn't be so supportive of a brand that could care less about us.
Sure we ride 'em... Sure we love 'em... But I sure as hell won't be recommending this brand to anyone anytime soon.

As for "Bling"...
I've never seen anything produced by anyone that shed a bad light on this brand. More of homage than anything else.
Well, outside of those silly final drive memes over on that "Other MOA" site.
But that and those is a whole 'nother can-o-worms.
 
This thread reminds me of the Kingston Trio's "the Merry Minuet" song.............I camp in Jackass Hollow so pay me no mind.......

Wow. You are old. :laugh

<object width="480" height="360"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/bp6dsKleGpU?hl=en_US&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/bp6dsKleGpU?hl=en_US&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="360" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>
 
Wow. You are old. :laugh

<object width="480" height="360"><param name="movie" value="//www.youtube.com/v/bp6dsKleGpU?hl=en_US&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="//www.youtube.com/v/bp6dsKleGpU?hl=en_US&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="360" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>

No not old just timeless.........and enjoy good music whatever generation
 
yup

That is more important to the organization than selling a t-shirt. I fly my stickers whether I like them or not so that everyone knows I am the MOA.
We get all that. And all the times it's been harped over too. The issue that always comes up is to HOW it came about.
It was/is my understanding that all of this was done "off site" or "behind the scenes" as I keep hearing... Kinda like someone's agency got a no bid contract ran it through a focus group w/ a prepackaged set of instructions to "validate" it. Never was the MOA membership involved w/ this huge "rebranding" (for lack of a better term). Then handed to us w/ a stamp of approval and told this is the most awesome piece of art to adorn our bikes. Nothing could be further from the truth.


1. How could have this not been voted on by the members.....Just freaking amazing!!!!
2. This club is only hurting themselves financially, like me, I will probably by the the blue bmw jacket from my dealer then throw some patches on it...will the moa patch be on it....I doubt it, maybe Ill put the old patch on though but instead of me buying shirts, jackets from the new moa store I will take my money elsewhere...will my couple of bucks put a dent in the club...nope...and do I want to hurt the club...no way, I want the club to grow but when it comes to my cash, I'm gonna buy what I want....
3. HOW COULD THEY NOT PUT THIS UP TO THE VOTE OF THE MEMBERS...HAD A CONTEST OR SOMTHING ELSE
 
Back
Top