With Harry Potter’s massive theatrical finale this past week (and yes, I was there, on Day 2, with 3D glasses), thought it fun to revisit a chapter from my MBA thesis focused on “The Luxury Brand and Its Growing Demand in China” (from 2009, so a tiny bit dusty on the data below):
One of the more prominent recent examples of archetypal branding can be found in the Harry Potter franchise rooted in tales of witches on brooms, dungeons and dragons, the death and rebirth – physical, spiritual, allegorical – of heroes in the tradition of a phoenix, and even the valley of the shadow of death, as it were. All bundled up into a work of fiction that is one of the biggest marketing machines popular culture has seen this decade or any other.
Over 400 million Harry Potter books have been sold worldwide (2009). These include a translation into Mandarin in which Harry’s name is Ha-li Po-te. An article in The Week magazine claimed that The Holy Bible and The Quotations of Chairman Mao are the only volumes having more copies in print than Harry Potter. The article goes on to describe how Harry “casts his spell,” primarily through author Rowling’s use of time-honored themes that borrow heavily from folklore and mythological archetypes centered upon heroism.
To wit, these themes are played out in vibrant color across marketing campaigns for both the final book in the series, “Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows,” and the most recent movie, “Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix.” Fans can dress up as Harry and play his role via videogames.
The above is indeed the archetypal hero’s journey that often begins in an “ordinary world.” In the context of this research study, the ordinary world is not a castle surrounded by an enchanted forest; rather it is the familiar surroundings of the consumer, including home, office, clothes, car(s), relationships, entertainments, etc. Here our hero (i.e., the consumer) engages in a problem, challenge, or adventure to undertake, even if it is simply to kill weeds in one’s garden, run a little faster in new Nikes, or dress the part to turn heads the moment one walks in the door at the hottest new restaurant in town.
Mr. Potter is far from alone. Brand tie-ins for “Die Another Day,” featuring the modern day hero James Bond, were estimated as all-time record holders, between US$120 million and US$160 million for more than 20 product placements. One of the brands was Omega, which created a custom, limited edition Seamaster wristwatch with Mr. Bond’s “007” on its face. That is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg in the arena of branded entertainment – a favored marketing channel for many luxury brands – and it is only now becoming common in China.
One needs look no further than most company or product taglines – Chanel: “Share the Fantasy” – to see that the appeal to such archetypal roles, heroic or otherwise, is very much the norm in advertisement calls to action, often boasting the promise of adventure:
- Volkswagen: “Drivers wanted.”
- Busch Beer: “Head for the mountains.”
- U.S. Navy: “It’s not a job. It’s an adventure.”
- Apple Computer: “Think different.”
- Las Vegas: “What happens here, stays here.”
- Rolex: “An Obsession with Perfection”
The above is of significant importance in luxury branding, whereby the brand is meant to evoke a lifestyle in which the consumer has – either in reality or fantasy – a role to play. Brandus Optimus! (Translation: Make-us Money-us.)
[More on this Dissertation here]