Harry Potter seeks fan stars through digital drive

LONDON - Warner Home Video has launched a digital campaign across the MSN network that gives Harry Potter fans the chance to appear in the next movie of the series, ‘Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'

The competition, which went live on www.msn.co.uk on Friday, is to promote the launch of 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' on DVD. To compete, users must answer a series of multiple-choice questions about the movie on the MSN site each week until December 20.


Any fan that answers the questions correctly will get the chance to appear in 'Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince'.
Users can also visit a bespoke Harry Potter hub on the MSN site to view trailers of the new DVD release.
Josh Berger, president and managing director at Warner Bros. UK, said: "Digital plays an important role in our marketing mix. We've been investing in digital for many years and are constantly pushing the bar to break new boundaries and create campaigns that truly engage with the consumer."
The competition will be supported by advertisements and editorial placements across the MSN network, many of which MSN says have not been offered to brands for campaigns before.
Chris Ward, commercial director of Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions, which helped to create the campaign, said: "This deal proves that digital has come of age and is now seen as a mainstream platform to communicate with consumers.
"Brands and agencies are being forced to change their advertising strategies to engage with consumers and create a dialogue, rather than simple push messages to them."