Harry Potter & The Tone of Marketing

[heidi.h.tandy.c92 at alumni.upenn.edu]

No: HPFGUIDX 12733

Interesting article in today's SLATE magazine at 
http://slate.msn.com/moneybox/entries/01-02-20_101167.asp about the 
deal between WB & Coke. 
The interesting line by the reporter echoes some of the discussion 
here yesterday:
"the upshot seems to be that Coke is spending money not so much to 
get an endorsement as to give one. We may never find out what Harry 
Potter thinks about Coke, but Coke wants you to know that it is all 
for Harry Potter. In this curious process, the Potter properties are 
practically elevated to the status of some kind of charitable cause—
as though Coke were making a prominent donation to improve its 
reputation for doing good works on behalf of society at large."

Okay, Mister Rob Walker, reporter person, stop lurking!