Potter Blitz Coming
Scifi.com — Scholastic, Inc., the U.S. publisher of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, the fifth book in the popular series by J.K. Rowling, is preparing for a massive media campaign to accompany the launch of the book, according to the Associated Press.
Just in case there is anyone left who has not yet heard of the famous boy wizard, the publisher’s plans to promote the upcoming book include billboards, baseball parks and a special event in New York City.
Timed to the midnight June 21 release of Order of the Phoenix, the show gets rolling on what could be called “Harry Potter Eve,” Friday night June 20, with a countdown in Times Square. A billboard on Sunset Strip will announce the news in Los Angeles, the wire service reported.
National promotions are also underway. The publisher already has distributed 3 million bumper stickers, 400,000 buttons, 50,000 window displays and 24,000 stand-up posters with countdown clocks.
Scholastic has also sent more than 15,000 “event kits” to bookstores and other retail outlets, where parties are planned all over the country.
The kits include stickers, buttons, a trivia quiz and suggestions for how to handle long lines of impatient fans, the service said.
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