Wary Over Harry - upcoming Harry Potter film marketing - Brief Article

Brandweek, June 11, 2001 by Sandra Dolbow, Karen Benezra, David Finnigan

All eyes are on the upcoming fall release, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, with licensees worrying whether the film will become a merchandise wonder, even as Warner Bros. has signed Sears Roebuck & Co. as a principal retail partner.

The stakes are high for Potter, the hit book-turned-movie, which has commitments from tie-in partners including master toy licensee Mattel, Electronic Arts videogames and Fossil watches.

Sears is expected to launch an integrated back-to-school marketing campaign in August including national advertising, a sweepstakes dangling a trip to London and exclusive poster promotion. TV advertising will feature movie trailer imagery and joint promo messages with magazine ads and Sunday newspaper inserts.

The campaign launches the 860-unit chain as the home for Potter merchandise, which will include T-shirts, watches and bedding, plus additional items on its Web site, www.wishbook.com.

ABD Group, Chicago, is leading print efforts; Young & Rubicam, Chicago and New York, handles broadcast production and placement. Einson Freeman, Chicago, developed and manages the sweepstakes promotion and fulfillment.

Warner Bros. inked Coca-Cola Co. in February as sole global promo partner for the film and eventual video release. On deck are plans for literacy efforts linked to its Coke Classic and Minute Maid brands. "We've had all kinds of plans in place, with new developments as recently as last week," said a Coke company source.

The Sears news comes as licensees who have bet big on Potter have been anxiously waiting to see if the film will follow in the footsteps of blockbuster properties like The Lion King, which sold millions in merchandise, or post more modest numbers, like most other book-related properties.

"It's going to be a good movie property as opposed to being the be-all end-all property," said Woody Browne, a principal at licensing agency Building Q, Voorhees, N.J., who has several clients lined up for Potter- deals. "But the question remains, can it overcome the enormous expectations that have been put on it?"

Some licensees are disappointed that pre-movie hype has so far been quiet and that an expected summer release in the Scholastic book series by author J.K. Rowling was nixed.

Most worrisome is that many licensees put up extremely high guarantees and fees for a phenomenon that may not in fact be such a huge hit, thus leaving them in the red, For now, the word at retail is quiet as licensees ready toys, games and assorted other products for late-summer release dates.

Some still have high hopes, however, especially once Warner Bros. cranks up the volume on the movie despite a rather lackluster start with product based on the book. "The product came out too early with nothing behind it," said Alexandra Richmond, dir-licensing and marketing for Briefly Stated, which has the license for boys pajamas. She voiced "high expectations" for the line, which will be sold via mass market and mid-tier retailers, plus Federated Department stores.

"Warner Brothers is putting a lot into the launch of the movie," she said, "The buzz will rejuvenate after the movie hits."