Harry Potter
Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger have cast a spell on the world. First with the seven books and now with the eight movies, the Harry Potter franchise is a world wide phenomenon. There are the books, the movies, and a theme park, as well as millions of merchandise that fans can buy. Now, everyone can have their own personal wand, Hogwarts robe, house tie and sweater, glasses, Quiddich goggles, and much more. All of the books, movies, and merchandise have been marketed to perfection, creating a loud and large buzz around the books and films, as well as having a motto of "always leave them wanting more" (Brown). The way Harry Potter was marketed some say is what made the stories explode into the world wide craze, while others suggest that one reason why it exploded was the accessibility of the stories and characters which made it so easy to market (Galligan and Brown). This is coupled with the fact that J. K. Rowling had created ready to make and sell aspects in her books such as the candy, robes, broom sticks, wands, etc (Brown). All of the marketing strategies, building anticipation, were used when Rowling created Pottermore.com, an interactive website for fans of the books. The site was on lock down except for the information blog, this generated excitement about the site, so people would visit the sight every day to see if it had finally been opened to everyone. Many people have criticized the world that Rowling created, but they cannot deny that the books encouraged children to read and opened up an entirely new way to market a popular book series, as well as turn them into world wide sensations (Galligan).
Harry Potter is a story of good versus evil; Harry is the main character who must battle evil everyday, as well as sacrifice himself for the greater good. His mentor, Dumbledore, is the elderly wizard who guides Harry to his destiny, and Lord Voldemort is the most evil wizard of all time, and the man who Harry must face in the end. Harry has two best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, who help Harry fight to destroy evil and fulfill his destiny. There are several father figures, since Harry is an orphan. His father's best friends, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, and Ron's father, Arthur Weasley, become the fathers in the story. They are the mentors who help Harry grow and become the wizard who will defeat the dark lord. The dark lord, Lord Voldemort, is the epitome of evil and his followers, the Death Eaters, are the harbingers of the dark arts and they believe in a "pure blood" race of wizards. Dumbledore is the representation of good, and his followers are the Order of the Phoenix, who fight against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Then there is the double agent Severus Snape, who many believe to be Voldemort's right hand man, but in reality he was Harry's protector and was a confidant of Dumbledore's. People have fallen in love with the characters of the Harry Potter series and the struggle between good and evil. People enjoy this common theme in their fantasy stories, which may be why the journey of Harry Potter and his friends is so appealing.
Harry Potter is a story of good versus evil; Harry is the main character who must battle evil everyday, as well as sacrifice himself for the greater good. His mentor, Dumbledore, is the elderly wizard who guides Harry to his destiny, and Lord Voldemort is the most evil wizard of all time, and the man who Harry must face in the end. Harry has two best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, who help Harry fight to destroy evil and fulfill his destiny. There are several father figures, since Harry is an orphan. His father's best friends, Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, and Ron's father, Arthur Weasley, become the fathers in the story. They are the mentors who help Harry grow and become the wizard who will defeat the dark lord. The dark lord, Lord Voldemort, is the epitome of evil and his followers, the Death Eaters, are the harbingers of the dark arts and they believe in a "pure blood" race of wizards. Dumbledore is the representation of good, and his followers are the Order of the Phoenix, who fight against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Then there is the double agent Severus Snape, who many believe to be Voldemort's right hand man, but in reality he was Harry's protector and was a confidant of Dumbledore's. People have fallen in love with the characters of the Harry Potter series and the struggle between good and evil. People enjoy this common theme in their fantasy stories, which may be why the journey of Harry Potter and his friends is so appealing.