The influences of Harry Potter fans on increasing popular culture
Jr 113-B Media and Intercultural Issues Final Exams
When it comes to fantasy literature, no figure appears larger in the 21st Century than the bespectacled wizard named Harry Potter. Harry Potter is more than a beloved book series. It's a cultural phenomenon. All that thanks to English author J. K. Rowling's mastery as a storyteller.
With the first book series being published in 1997, Harry Potter influenced not just a single generation. Children across the globe read all the books, were waiting for the movies, and believed in magic.
Harry Potter is a $25 billion franchise that now boasts two theme parks, tours at the London studio, and newly illustrated versions of the books and scads of wizarding paraphernalia, according to cnbc.com. Harry Potter may have begun its roots as a literary treasure, but has grown to become a media franchise. Through movies, toy sets, wands, brooms, video games, action figures, and theme parks, Harry Potter has become more of a brand than anything.
There’s no denying that merchandise is a huge part of marketing to supplement any popular movie or book. But in this case, it also kept fans occupied and excited while waiting for the next installment.
A 2022 study conducted by money.co.uk, shows how much the average spend is for movie memorabilia collections. Harry Potter collections have come out as the most expensive collections with a £467.98 (9 million rupiah) average spend.
Harry Potter broke dozens of records in the box-office like in the sales industry. Even though the series has ended, the phenomenon goes on and continuations of the brand keep the magic going.
Harry Potter fans’ devotion
Here we look at what has become a hugely profitable corporate brand, a fan-fueled sensation and one of the biggest players in pop culture. From 1997 until now, the Harry Potter community has grown to become one of the largest fan based communities.
“It’s a part of my childhood,” said Disya, a Potterhead (a term used to describe Harry Potter fans).
Disya collects various items that are related to Harry Potter. From the hardcopy, digital books, gryffindor sweater, magic wand, stickers, and others.
“Harry Potter is cool,” said Rachel, also a Potterhead.
“We don’t have magic in the real world, so it’s cool to have a movie that can embody magic in a cool way,” Rachel continued.
One of Rachel’s collection of Harry Potter themed items is the plastic building-block toys, Lego. She has a large collection of Harry Potter Lego.
“I think I’ve spent 8 to 9 million (rupiah),” Rachel said regarding how much she spent on collecting Harry Potter related items.
Rachel’s obsession on buying numerous Harry Potter merchandise is because it’s one of her ways to relieve stress. She said that escaping into a fantasy world has always been her favorite way to deal with stress.
When it comes to fantasy literature, no figure appears larger in the 21st Century than the bespectacled wizard named Harry Potter. Harry Potter is more than a beloved book series. It's a cultural phenomenon. All that thanks to English author J. K. Rowling's mastery as a storyteller.
With the first book series being published in 1997, Harry Potter influenced not just a single generation. Children across the globe read all the books, were waiting for the movies, and believed in magic.
Harry Potter is a $25 billion franchise that now boasts two theme parks, tours at the London studio, and newly illustrated versions of the books and scads of wizarding paraphernalia, according to cnbc.com. Harry Potter may have begun its roots as a literary treasure, but has grown to become a media franchise. Through movies, toy sets, wands, brooms, video games, action figures, and theme parks, Harry Potter has become more of a brand than anything.
There’s no denying that merchandise is a huge part of marketing to supplement any popular movie or book. But in this case, it also kept fans occupied and excited while waiting for the next installment.
A 2022 study conducted by money.co.uk, shows how much the average spend is for movie memorabilia collections. Harry Potter collections have come out as the most expensive collections with a £467.98 (9 million rupiah) average spend.
Harry Potter broke dozens of records in the box-office like in the sales industry. Even though the series has ended, the phenomenon goes on and continuations of the brand keep the magic going.
The magic store
Kelontong Sihir is an online shop specializing in Harry Potter merchandise. Based in Indonesia, it was established in 2005 and started with a desire to sell items inspired by the adventure stories of wizards in the magical world of Harry Potter. The items sold are varied, from the official merchandise to the self-designed one.
Although the books and films are finished, Kelontong Sihir believes the love for the Harry Potter story will still last.
“2022 is our 17th year. So far we still have many loyal old customers, and also new customers coming in,” said Madam Lumos, one of the administrators of Kelontong Sihir.
In the 2000s, particularly in Indonesia, Harry Potter became a big boom. As a Potterhead as well, that’s where Madam Lumos seized a perfect chance.
“At that time, I didn’t see a lot of stores or anywhere that sells Harry Potter merchandise,” Madam Lumos mentioned.
“So I started this Kelontong Sihir shop as a place for those who are looking for Harry Potter themed stuff,” Madam Lumos added.
With more than 12 thousand followers on Instagram, Kelontong Sihir is the only active Harry Potter merchandise shop in Indonesia. The people behind the store have adapted to the different generations. Starting the shop from Facebook, to Twitter, then extending to Instagram.
Kelontong Sihir has served many Indonesian Potterheads over the course of time. Using an online marketplace, Tokopedia, Kelontong Sihir expands to help Indonesian Potterheads to find what they need to fulfill their magical needs.
“Just imagine, 17 years of surviving as an online shop to assist Harry Potter fans,” said Madam Lumos proudly.
Where fans and consumerism collide
The marketing surrounding the Harry Potter brand used several techniques or strategies to promote the brand worldwide, mainly benefiting from the rise of the internet and new technologies, as well as the fan based community.
The phenomenon of the Harry Potter franchise is a good example of consumerism.
“Consumerism is an understanding or a lifestyle that considers luxury goods as a measurement of happiness,” Psychologist Yanuar Lurisa Aldio said.
The Harry Potter book series became the best-selling books. The movie generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. Then, there were products that were created as a direct result of the success of the book and the movie.
“Consumerism is either a good thing or a bad thing,” said Yanuar.
“It depends on its use and how often,” he added.
There is no doubt that the consumerist culture Harry Potter denounced has tremendous repercussions. In a study from the Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies journal to analyze corporations’ role in the flourishing of Harry Potter merchandise, professors Waetjen and Gibson argue that the consumerism exploiting children’s interests is so intrusive.
They attest, “the current explosion of Potter-inspired merchandise is, to be sure, a textbook case in the commodification of children’s culture and the proliferating sins of hyper-commercialism.” This shows that mass consumerism impacts impressionable children’s reliance on material objects and their concept of happiness.
As to why the Harry Potter series is so captivating that it leads to massive pop culture, Yanuar mentioned one thing: magic. The Harry Potter series takes place in a richly imagined world that invites fans to immerse themselves in every aspect.
“Magic and wizard, these are what makes it unique,” Yanuar said.
He said that Harry Potter has a large fandom or community, and this is being used by the marketers. Because at the end of the day, marketing is utilized to attract as many fans as possible.
Harry Potter offers a story about how magic becomes a reality that is unknowingly in our midst. Harry Potter is a cultural industry, which offers contemporary cultural products containing a wizarding world that was once far apart from the reality that existed in the real world. The existence of Harry Potter as a product of the culture industry makes it an object of consumerism.
The admiration for the world of Harry Potter that’s rich in magic and can’t be found in the real world, making it an item of mass consumption. In addition, consumerism impacts people’s culture. The increase in the consumption of luxury goods in our everyday life can alter human interaction.
Consumerism does have benefits to the growth of businesses and the overall economy. It has created a system that promotes the growth of businesses which in turn arguably creates jobs and wealth for the rest of society.
But also, consumerism clearly has negative effects on people, especially young people. The materialistic culture and corporations will take advantage of the young consumers. Finding it profitable, companies effectively target younger audiences because of four common characteristics: their mass consumption of media, their spending habits, their trendsetting ability, and the vulnerability associated with youth.
Consumerism is the excess of what a person actually needs, and it has its advantages and drawbacks. Underlying this is materialism, which today has become almost an ubiquitous belief. Materialism is the assumption that people are becoming more and more orientated to things, such as commodities. Hence, the effects of marketing for adolescents include an increase in materialism as well as a commitment to brand loyalty.
The recognition that objects have meaning and value beyond their use, that they act as markers of status, and are key to fashioning one’s identity, suggests a compelling critique of consumerism going on within the Harry Potter series.
In the end, Potterheads all over the world bought the merchandise due to spellbinding Harry Potter stories. Harry Potter has managed to become as popular as it has because of the characters, setting, the easy-to-read nature of the books, as well as the strikingly made movies. With that, a large variety of merchandise and real-life attractions play a role in the never-ending popularity of the series.
Writer: Sherly Julia Halim (00000045562), Alycia Catelyn (00000045357), Aliaksandra Klintsevich (ES000000092)
Editor: Alycia Catelyn (00000045357)
Video editor and documentation: Vellanda (00000044504)
Documentation: Gabriella Keziafanya (00000045953)
Source: cnbc.com, money.com, researchgate.com (Harry Potter and the Commodity Fetish Activating Corporate Reading is the Journey from Text to Comercial Intertext)