Harry Potter The Deathly Hallows Part II
Posters
The campaign had a series of teaser posters for this film starting with just close ups of the main characters. These characters are now well known globally as the previous Harry Potter films have been such a success, so when seen the posters will instantly be recognized as posters for Harry Potter. The poses in each image are quite dramatic, as is the lighting, which causes people to be more intrigued as to why. The teaser posters get people talking about the film without having to include too much information which wants them too know more. It also creates excitement for those who are a fan of the Harry Potter films and keeps them from losing interest in them. The tag line drawing attention to the end of the popular series of films also makes people more aware that this is the last ever film, so they will be more determined not to miss it.
Other teaser posters for the film include a long shot of Hogwarts being destroyed. It would automatically catch the reader’s eye as this particular place is also associated with all of the films and so to see it being destroyed will cause people to be shocked and therefore discuss. The tagline ‘it all ends here’ reminds audiences that this is the final Harry Potter and so people will be more interested in seeing it as the are intrigued to how it will finally end. The fact the only have to have ‘HP7’ in the typical font of the Harry Potter titles, rather than the full title, shows that its so recognizable that they don’t need the full title, whilst allowing more room for the scene in the background to be seen. They include a website at the bottom so the audience can find out more which will increase the interest in the film.
The main poster for the film includes the three main characters from the film in an action shot running through the woods, suggesting they are running from something. This creates drama and excitement for the audience and suggests that the film includes some action. There are little red spots of light on the poster, which could symbolize danger in the film, also creating interest. They use a different tagline ‘the end begins’ which tells us the film will be released very soon and again emphasizes the fact it is the end to the very famous set of films, encouraging the audience to watch the film to see how it ends. Rather than in the teaser texts, this poster has a release date, which allows the audience to know when they can watch the film and shows that this was released much later in the campaign. They also have the production company logo at the bottom, this highlights the fact it was produced by a professional, well known company and therefore is likely to be a good film. The title of the film is still in the famous Harry Potter font, allowing audience to recognize it and associate it with the film.
The Teaser Trailer
The teaser trailer allows us to have a brief preview of the film. This particular trailer used some of the most iconic scenes from the film and some of the most dramatic dialogue such as ‘it all ends here’. This creates a hype for the film and allows the audience to see what the film will be like. It doesn’t give too much away about the story other than what it already known from the previous film. This is to ensure not too much is given away so people will get talking about it and excited to see it. The trailer is quite fast paced and includes lots of actions shots so we do get the idea it’s an action type film. It also includes scenes involving spells and wands, which indicate it’s a film about magic.
http://youtu.be/MEUR8e6MZlM
The Main Trailer
The main trailer includes the Harry Potter theme tune, which instantly causes the audience to recognize it as a trailer for Harry Potter. However, the music has been slowed down to create a sense of tension and drama. The trailer is packed with action and the music picks up pace. Unlike the teaser trailer, the main trailer gives more of a sense of a storyline and what happens in the film. It also includes dramatic dialogue over the top, which creates more excitement. The release date is included which allows audience to know when they can watch the film. The website address and production companies are also included like in the teaser trailer to let audiences know it’s been made by a well known, professional film company and so is likely to be a success.
http://youtu.be/I_kDb-pRCds
The Website
When logging onto the website the trailer automatically plays so viewers are already enticed and filled in with the latest of the new Harry Potter film. It has the release date in big red letters at the top so viewers will always know when they are able to view the film. It also gives information about the Harry Potter studios in London, which allow people to go and see a tour of the scenes from the Harry Potter film serious. The have a menu button and this includes content selection such as ‘about the movie’ and ‘special features’ which allows people to know exclusive information about the film.
http://harrypotter.warnerbros.co.uk/hp7b/dvd/#/about
Overall
One question I asked myself while doing this research was how much this research was actually needed. I am sure that the Harry Potter series is so well known and the last film so anticipated that it would have been equally successful with a much less detailed campaign. This begs the question of why the studio would spend so much money on an elaborate campaign, and I have decided that it has become an obligatory part of a major film release. Audiences now expect this and would feel cheated if it didn't happen, even if they intended to see the film anyway. The build up has become part of the overall experience.
I noticed that the campaign was carefully constructed with a drip feed of information to the audience. This is something we will have to try to emulate. As our film is not imagined as being a sequel or based on a novel or anything which would cause it to have an existing audience, our promotional campaign will have to work in the way these campaigns were originally intended before they became packaged in with the whole experience - attracting an audience. We will have to make sure our three products work well together and create anticipation and interest. We will have to work much harder to generate this and therefore might need to be more controversial.
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