Harry Potter was the new “event” film after a group of unsuccessful summer blockbusters.
The main sponsorship of Harry Potter is Coca-Cola. The Coca-Cola Corporation is a multinational. They have enormous power to influence a culture, in particular children by the power of associated American values and lifestyles, which has been apart of Coke through over a hundred years of advertising. People had to be reminded of the coke symbol and colours and the associated coke ideology that consumer’s desire. Coca- Cola’s target audience is predominantly youth. This is because the ‘American dream’ is associated with it’s trend and many feel inspired by the Coca- Cola message of the escape to freedom – away from all the hassles of every day life. The message of the advertising campaigns of Coca-Cola has been simple but a powerful one:
“Drink Coca-Cola and you feel free”.
Coca-Cola has the exclusive right to the marketing of Harry Potter by signing a £100 million marketing deal with Warner Brothers.
Harry Potter has a universal appeal, enchanting families and individuals and age groups and cultures. Much like Coca-Cola suggests. Harry Potter has released different book covers in order to match the target audience of Coca-Cola.
Few other Companies have a global reach to catch the worldwide popularity of Harry Potter. Coca-Cola’s view is that they are undertaking a comprehensive campaign to bring imagination through reading to young people and adults throughout the world. However, the cynical view is that they are just trying to sell coke.
The deals mean Coca-Cola has to give £12 million to the United States reading fundamental (RIF) campaign; which tries to encourage children to read and write. This occurred because many parents of children though that Coca-Cola was only interested in raising funds in order for them to expand their audience share over their competitors Pepsi. The Parents were concerned because of the distinct relationship between the film and the sponsorship – this being junk food.
The Coca-Cola advertising campaign included the Placement of Harry Potter related images, such as His owl and castle, on the packaging. There was not product Placement in the film, nor was there images of the wizard drinking Coke.
With Coca-Cola having a large marketing deal with Warner Brothers.
The deal is such a positive marketing outcome for Coca-Cola because on
every trailer, piece of merchandise and adverts Coca-Cola will be promoted.
Coca-Cola is interested in sponsoring Harry Potter because of many similarities between the two. Both are associated with seasonal celebrations. Coca-Cola because of its signature colour scheme. Red and white also the colours associated with Father Christmas. A character produced by Coca-Cola for children at Christmas. Harry Potter was released also in December. The ideology of the two institutions ties in with the time. Coca-Cola has a magical ideology. This is emphasised especially in Coca-Cola’s institutional value. This is because Coca-Cola is associated with magic – in Christmas and it’s ideology. Harry Potter is part of the fantasy genre that is ideal for all members of the family. Harry Potter and the philosopher’s stone is a family film. This ties in with Coca-Cola’s brand values of family. Coca-Cola’s family brand values are also linked to Coca-Cola’s institutional values. This is evident because every Christmas Coca-Cola release’s their advertising campaign with a Polar bear family gathering to enjoy Christmas with Coca-Cola even though that they are situated in the middle of the Antarctic.
Even though the campaign was positive for both Warner Brothers and Coca-Cola, it was no doubt the “big Christmas toy” would be based on Harry Potter, and the children would demand to be taken to Burger King after their Shreddies Breakfast washed down with Coke. Parents would feel good about themselves for reading tabloids because they had Souvenir Magazines and “extra –special features?” about the Harry Potter Phenomenon. They would save box tops and ring pulls, send them off for books. These products represent the link between the film, eating and reading. Burger King released Children’s meals related to the Harry Potter theme. Burger King is in partnership with Coca-Cola relating back to the sponsorship of the film.
Harry Potter was at the centre of a row in the United States for using images of the popular character in it’s latest advertising campaign. Campaigners believe that the Harry Potter Coke advertisements are more troubling than the typical fast-food tie-in.
“From now on when people say ‘Harry Potter’ a lot of children are not going to think about the book or film, they’re going to think about Coca-Cola, they’re turning’ Harry Potter into a sales vehicle for junk food”
(A QUOTE FROM A SPOKESMAN FROM THE CAMPAIGN WEB SITE
)
Campaigners feel the Drinks Company
Is trying to make children buy its products
Protesters deem unhealthy.
“Coke has transformed Harry Potter
Into a Marketing Wizard to hook our children on its
Junk beverages”
Said Gary Ruskin, executive director at advertising
Monitor commercial alert.
However, Coke argued against the campaign, insisting
That the company’s links with Harry Potter are about promoting the value of reading and the magic of the character, not about promoting products to children.
“Much as Parents are involved in reading with their children and helping to make decisions about what they read, parents are also involved in deciding what their kids choose to eat or drink. Both experiences are about family enjoyment and parental choices.”
Said spokeswoman Susan McDermott.
The deal means Coca-Cola has to give £12 million to the United Sates Reading is Fundamental (RIF) Campaign. Rowling has stated publicly that she is concerned about the merchandising of Harry Potter, but is satisfied with the Coke promotion.
“I understand that Coca-Cola’s clause will focus on increasing Children’s literacy, a cause of a particular interest of mine” she recently told ‘The Daily Mail’. JK Rowlings books have already inspired more adults as well as children to read. JK Rowling insisted that Coca-Cola makes the donation and that no images of Harry would be on the cans. The Soft Drinks Company bought images from the first film, Harry Potter and the Philosophers stone, to use on it’s products. Five million children will benefit from the campaign it seems to be predominantly the United States of America. 100, 000 books will go to school and community centres.
But again there has been controversy. Harry Potter produced and directed by Warner Brothers an American Company was a mistake. Harry Potter has a predominantly British Cast, located in Britain and therefore a British film. Surely the positive effects of the campaign should be received in the United Kingdom?
More controversy has been raised about the name of Harry Potter and the Philosophers stone. If the film is a British Film why should it be given a different name in America. – ‘Harry Potter and the sorcerers stone’.
The book of Harry Potter and the philosopher’s stone was released in 1997 with two front covers. The front cover for children uses vivid colours to attract the audience’s attention. The images on the cover are animated. Harry Potter is flying into a building on a broomstick conveying the effect of the fantasy genre.
In comparison to the children’s cover, the majority of the adult cover is in black and white. The central image of the cover is a steam train. The landscape is in the countryside and is black and white. This, appealing directly to the older audience. These changes in imagery for the two different front covers have helped the Harry Potter phenomenon to reach all audience segments in society.
The advertising Campaign of Harry Potter has been predominantly overt. It is very hard for the audience to be not aware of the phenomenon. Overt advertising is used in every form of the media. Harry Potter has used predominantly the use of adverts to advertise the film.
For Harry Potter and the philosophers stone there were many forms of film posters. The majority of them concentrated on Harry Potter himself.
The main film poster has Daniel Radcliffe in the centre with other characters around him. The background of the poster is dark blue associating with the mystery and fantasy of the story. The dark blue also conveys the thought of cold and wintry magic. The characters are dressed in black associating with the typical signature colours of magic the wizard school he goes to is in the background; the fact that Harry Potter is situated in the front of all the other characters suggests that he is a key character.
The marketing Campaign of Harry Potter has been overt in the magazines .The marketing team has not just limited Harry Potter to a particular market of magazines. It seems Harry Potter has woven its magic into the front covers in many of the mainstream TV Listing Magazines – such as ‘The TV Times’ in the United Kingdom and ‘TV Guide’ in the United States; All of which featured the main character Harry Potter in different perspectives. With Harry Potter having such a mainstream audience appeal advertising in TV Listings magazine was ideal because they too have a mainstream audience. However as well as advertising in TV Listing Magazines Harry Potter was advertised in individual target audience magazines. Such as ‘Readers Digest’ aimed at the slightly older audience. On the front cover of this magazine was JK Rowling instead of a character from Harry Potter.
For children in the United States was advertised in ‘Nickelodeon’ a magazine of a Sky Cartoon Television Channel. On the front cover of this magazine was an animated image of Harry Potter flying on his Broomstick reflecting the appeal of the children’s age group. The image is vivid and has a fantasy appeal to children. Advertising Harry Potter in a magazine for children is clever. The target audience for this film is predominantly children. Nickelodeon in America is a popular media institution; it has large target audience of children. Advertising in magazines such as Nickelodeon will attract the children to see the film, as many are young parents would take their children to the cinema. Therefore boosting the ticket sales at the box office.
Harry Potter and the philosopher’s stone was also advertised using covert advertising techniques. Before the première, the marketing campaign directors used press junkets, plugs and merchandise to spread the coverage on Harry Potter. The campaign has been globally successful by using these techniques.
A press junket is where the cast and director meet the press to publicise the film. They are generally attended by all parts of the media. These usually last for one to two days intensively. The traditional conventions of junkets when celebrities are interviewed in a hotel room. There is usually a chair for the celebrity, flowers and a piece of key art from the film. Usually the public is familiar to the key art as it used in every medium. Celebrities speak to many members of the mass media. Often these interviews have a global audience. This is why press junkets was used. Robbie Coltrane and Daniel Radcliff were present at Press Junkets. However, there were many interviews with JK Rowling, which helped to raise the profile of her talents. I remember viewing the press junkets on Television News and on magazine shows such as This Morning and Blue Peter. This was a good way of promoting Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone because news agencies and various entertainment based institutions had to pay for the exclusive right to cover Harry Potter.
Therefore Harry Potter raised capital to cover the cost of production. Also, Harry Potter received mass global coverage in which did not have to be paid for.
Between the première and the opening weekend, marketing or publicity and promotions like above are at it’s biggest. The box office takings are at the biggest between the première and the opening weekend.
Perhaps the most important event in the marketing of a film is the première. This is certainly the case when it comes to the première of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. One of the most eagerly – waited film in years, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone, received its world première in Leicester Square, London on Sunday 4th November. 2001.
The Odeon in Leicester square was transformed into a replica of the magic school Hogwart's school for the magic occasion and thousand’s of exciting fans, some dressed up in Wizard hat’s and cloaks, gathered to catch a glimpse of celebrities arriving.
The film, which was generally released on 16th November, had already taken the biggest ever advance bookings for a film release. – Topping the £1million mark by it’s première. Among the celebrity fans that attended the première were the Duchess of York and her two daughters princesses Beatrice and Eugenie. Sir Cliff Richard took his nephew Philip to the screening.
“The whole Harry Potter thing is just great fun. It really open’s up child’s minds and it’s great for their imaginations” said Sir Cliff – this was exactly JK Rowling’s aim.
It seems not only the film production has been praised. JK Rowling had many interviews with the media including radio, television and magazines. The media has praised her talent and has become a somewhat media institutional figure by gaining several awards. She has received awards for being one of the best modern fantasy authors of all time. She has a huge fan base. It is undeniable that she is very creative, imaginative and talented in writing a fictional series for all ages. Many of the fans feel that her books convey much more imagination than any film could. Fans are eager to read the next instalment of the series but as Rowling is now pregnant they may have to wait. There is much thought that the next book would have been released in time for Christmas, it seems they will have to wait longer.
Even though there has been a large amount of controversy regarding the link between Harry Potter and Coca-Cola. The Marketing and promotion campaign has been successful in terms of Box office numbers. Legions of Harry Potter fans on both side of the Atlantic helped break Box Office records at the cinema. During the first three days of it’s release Harry Potter and the Philosophers stone made £16 million in Britain and £68 million in the United States breaking all previous records.
Harry Potter and the philosopher’s stone was the most popular film of 2001. Chris Columbus’s big screen version of the first book topped the UK box office Charts for 2001, putting £56.6 million in the coffers for Warner brothers. It seems that the next film ‘Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets’ shall be as big or even bigger due to the techniques of advertising and promotion.
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