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| Warner Bros. Released: June 14, 2011 |
I can remember waiting for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Prt. 2 to be released anxiously, counting down each day till 7/15 rolled around. Leading up 30 days before the film's release, a series of advertisement banners were published by Warner Bros (presenting Heyday Films, the creator of the Harry Potter films). They were published on billboards, media, and on the official Harry Potter website. Each banner, like the one above, featured a key character from the movies and the phrase "it all ends" with the films release date stamped on it. On many of these banner, the actual title of the film was not even listed.
Those of us who have been longtime fans of the books and films obviously knew the movie without question. If you were to look at the poster and not know the film title, it would be almost defeating. This introduces the sin these banners tackle: envy. The popularity of these movies was so insane that the producers of the ad left the title of the movie off the posters. So that when someone who didn't recognize the film looked at the ad it would be upsetting not to know. The lack of the title meant that most people knew what the film was. The phrase on the banner signifies the admiration fans must have for the plot. Envy comes in play here for those who did not know. With the lack of a title, they find themselves wanting to know and wanting to become apart of the majority. The intense scene painted on each banner drew in this audience. They began to want to know the story and wanted to know primarily what was ending and what they were missing out on.
Another way to view this ad is within the sin of lgreed. In some way, the desire fans had for the next movie and a conclusion can show greed because they wanted the possession of this thing. At the point these ads were released, the sneak peak of the scene on each captivated those with what they were craving. This ad preys off the greed and desire of its viewers.
Lastly, within the actual scene depicted on the banners themselves, one may note the sin of wrath. This sin is established through the banner above as well as this one. In both, two opposing enemies are shown. Both of these people are using extreme force to "end" something. The emotion in their faces combined with the phrase establish that only one of them will come out alive within their battle. Wrath here is the hate they may have for each other as enemies and their use of force to end the fight.
These posters were intended for audience of established fans invested in the franchise as well as those who had never heard of the films. The age range of fans for Harry Potter is so vast that one cannot but a boundary on it. The ads would draw this audience into a movie theater. This would mean they were probably catering them to the middle class due to how upper class may not join in on that form of entertainment and lower class may not be able to afford it. However, I would say that movies are generally targeted at anyone who wants to attend. Culturally, they are vastly popular and cater to a large variety of people without requiring much beforehand knowledge.
Through a wide lens, this type of advertising can be seen throughout modern years. Many companies, such as Netflix, have become competitors to theaters and cable through their services. Netflix and other companies also now do advertising featuring notable characters without labeling their names or shows. This idea of suspense creates excitement in those who are knowledgeable and longing in those who aren't-- either way, drawing in many viewers. This banner may have just been the start to a whole new genre of advertising that we now view as common rather than as radical as it was in its time.
