Mr. Potter, What Does it Mean?!

In 1983 I stood in line for three hours waiting for the opening of Return of the Jedi. And after that marathon of pre-teen patience and dedication, and I was rewarded by…Ewoks. Nevertheless, Jedi was a huge event, but oddly enough I don’t recall seeing a single person dressed up as a character from the movie – certainly not anyone over the age of 13. Which is what amazed me last week about the opening of the new Harry Potter movie.

Back in the day, Star Wars was beyond huge. Mark Hammil on the Muppet Show. The Star Wars disco song. Legions of plastic-costume kids storm trooping through neighborhoods each October. But the Star Wars craze seemed to have a clear line in the sand between fan and fanatic, and it was largely a line of age. Kids lived and breathed Star Wars, parents enjoyed or tolerated it. Flash forward 20 odd years and cue a whole new phenomenon courtesy of Ms. Rowling and Mr. Potter.

A caveat here – I have never read or seen any of the Harry Potter offerings. But I do have plenty of friends and associates young and old who devour the books and critique the movies with devotion once reserved for Trekkie conventions. So, it came as no surprise when I popped into the MegaPlex the other night and saw legions of Potter fans camped out at 9 pm waiting for the 12:01 show on opening night. What did surprise me where the outfits. And the outfitted.

Of the Potter-goers, no less than fifty percent were dressed up as some character from the books/films. And no less than half of the costumed and accessorized were at least in their mid 20’s (some in mid 40’s). Magic wands, wire-rim glasses, stripey scarves, wizard hats, and – strangely, a lot of graduation gowns – were everywhere, modeled by old and young alike.

So what does this all mean to marketers?

Clearly, it means that a good-old fashioned hardcover book can still magically generate mounds of cash and legions of fans (more proof? see Twilight). But beyond that, who knows? Does it mean niche audiences fueled and united by growing social media are a more powerful force than ever before? Probably. Are consumers starving for more “experiential” entertainment? Perhaps. Is the thread tying books, movies, magazines, TV, the web and whatever other media is around growing stronger than ever? You could argue that.

I just know that when it comes to Mr. Potter, the unfathomable cash and rabid dedication the franchise has generated is staggering and (though I hate the phrase) game changing. Or as we’d say back in the day, “the force is strong with this one”. (Sorry, I don’t know any Potter-isms…Shazam?)