Born to ride

Icelandic photographer Sigurþór Hallbjörnsson, better known as Spessi, has now become a model in the latest ad campaign for BMW motorbikes. Spessi is well-known in Iceland for his love of Harley Davidson motorbikes and is currently working on a documentary on Harley Davidson riders in the US. 

Contacted by BMW

"I was contacted by BMW when I was about to go hiking in Strandir, west Iceland. They told me I would need to go to casting two days later. I couldn't do that but sent them a trailer to the documentary I'm making," explains Spessi. "I then disappeared for six days into the highlands and when I got back, they absolutely wanted to cast me in the ad, so I rode my Harley straight into the hotel where they were staying. 

Harley Davidson friends not too impressed

Spessi explains that his Harley friends were not too happy about the BMW campaign at first. "But when I told them that I was getting paid for this they understood. The concept behind the campaign is that the story had to be real and the rider of the bike had to be both a photographer and a motorcycle rider. They're advertising the new R1200 GS bike with the Boxer engine. " Spessi himself owns a bike that's custom-built by a guy called Paul Stewart in the Bobber style. He aquired his first bike, a scooter when he was 14 years old and became fascinated with Harley Davidson after seeing Easy Rider in 1980. 

A giant BMW poster at a sales conference in Norway this winter featuring Spessi.