Has The Harry Potter Brand Become Too Commercial
Author – Sarah Jordan
Over the weekend I took a trip to the Harry Potter Studio Tour in London. Being a keen Potter fan I was both excited and a little apprehensive. The excitement stemmed from the previous reviews I had heard about some of the attractions, however I was concerned that the tour could be a complete misrepresentation and ruin the magical world of Hogwarts portrayed in the movies. After a mad run through Central London (and almost missing the train) we reached Watford in time to get on the themed Shuttle Bus, this is when the adventure began.
Overhearing some passengers on the bus talking about how commercialised the Harry Potter brand had become, got me thinking, ‘Is this just another way of making extortionate amounts of money without giving any real service?’ Well, the answer is debateable. The tour exceeded my expectations, it took the best part of three hours, walking around the huge studios, taking advantage of the numerous picture opportunities and participating in a few flying lessons. The sets were just incredible, to the point that you felt like you were part of the crew, filming the 9th movie.
I purchased the standard tickets. However, for a small amount extra you can get a personal tour pack and souvenir guide – personally I don’t think it would’ve enhanced the tour experience anymore. Everything you needed to know was right in front of you. The tickets are also considerably cheaper than what you would have to pay to get into other well known attractions/theme parks.
Of course like any other attraction, there was an opportunity to take part in a few additional features that had payable picture opportunities. The pictures were pricey, but without giving anything away the technology that went into them wasn’t your ‘standard smile with a prop and have a picture taken’ either. They also don’t charge you to participate in this optional part of the tour, which they definitely could; a lot of people would pay for the opportunity given. You are told that you can take as many pictures as you want throughout the tour, which conveys that they do want it to be a memorable day for you. They could easily put in place a ‘no pictures’ rule so then the only way people could see inside would be to pay for a ticket.
Just like any other themed attractions, you end up in a huge gift shop full of expensive memorabilia. The price tag for any of these items is ridiculous but there is no doubt that if you had young children you would be forced into a purchase. The products available to buy are unique and definitely add an additional wow factor to the last couple of hours.
Overall I think the tour is well worth a visit, yes they have commercialised the brand slightly, but after the phenomenon it has become they would be foolish not to. Fans love the fact they can buy Dumbledore’s wand and a Hogwarts cloak, if the demand is there they may as well utilise it.
I started this review after overhearing some passengers on the bus to the tour talking about that very commercialisation. They were on my bus back, each with at least a bag full of merchandise!