The Harry Potter hype came to a boiling point last weekend, when the seventh and final installment of the book series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, became available. In preparation, Scholastic heightened anticipation levels across the country with a bus tour celebrating all things Potter during the seven weeks before the Deathly Hallows release date. Traveling to 37 libraries in 15 cities, the tour allowed fans to board what author J.K. Rowling describes as the “violently purple” Knight Bus (identical to the enchanted one that debuted in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban) and record a video detailing their devotion to the ever-popular teenage sorcerer.
“We wanted to do an event centered around libraries, because they are community centers where everyone is welcome and the focus is reading,” said Rachel Coun, Scholastic’s director of marketing and Harry Potter brand director. “A big part of what we did in each city was get the kids and adults excited for the next installment, and for the series as a whole.” Prior to the tour kicking off, more than 325 million copies of the first six Potter installments had been sold, and the first four movies adapted from the books (the fifth debuted on July 12) had grossed more than $4 billion in box office sales.Scholastic commissioned a double-decker bus from England and transformed it into the triple-decker Knight Bus, complete with a star- and purple-bedecked interior. Known for transporting Potter and other wizards to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the books, the tour bus was actually a traveling studio that recorded hundreds of video clips at each library. “This was a great opportunity for fans to come together and express their joy and interest in the last book,” said Coun, who added that more than 8,000 clips were taped throughout the seven weeks. “Everyone got to make a 20-second video talking about what Harry Potter has meant to them.” Scholastic then posted a two-minute highlights compilation reel from each city on the company’s site and on You Tube. Clips that didn’t make the cut can be viewed using a unique username and password given to each participant.
Traveling at a maximum of 40 miles per hour, the Knight Bus started in New York and headed to the West Coast, visiting each library for three hours and often hitting two in one day. Four Scholastic team members were on-site at all times, handing out giveaways, playing audio clips from past Potter books, and getting video participants excited for their taping. “Fans talked to each other while waiting in line, and many read their favorite passages from the books—it was a bonding experience for everyone, a great community event,” Coun said.
Described by Coun as “the cheerleaders for the tour,” librarians in each city helped organize and publicize the event to local children and parents. In many of the towns, young fans arrived dressed as their favorite characters, wielding wands and swords. “The librarians have done a tremendous job in leading the celebration,” Coun said. “They’ve been great partners to us.”
The Knight Bus tour came about after Coun and others at Scholastic worked on a pared-down library tour for the children’s book Captain Underpants, in which the vehicle was a van modeled to resemble a giant purple potty. “That tour was not nearly as extensive as the Potter tour, but we saw the excitement it generated and the great response we got from librarians,” Coun said.
The tour came full circle on the morning of July 20, when the Knight Bus pulled behind Scholastic’s New York SoHo headquarters, temporarily dubbed “Harry Potter Place,” to kick off the hour-by-hour countdown (to an endless line of screaming fans) before the book went on sale at midnight. More than 12,000 fans visited the makeshift block party, which featured Potter-themed games and decor. With such anticipation surrounding Deathly Hallows, it's not surprising that the series finale topped records: Scholastic sold 8.3 million copies in the first 24 hours (that’s 5,763 copies per minute).
“We wanted to do an event centered around libraries, because they are community centers where everyone is welcome and the focus is reading,” said Rachel Coun, Scholastic’s director of marketing and Harry Potter brand director. “A big part of what we did in each city was get the kids and adults excited for the next installment, and for the series as a whole.” Prior to the tour kicking off, more than 325 million copies of the first six Potter installments had been sold, and the first four movies adapted from the books (the fifth debuted on July 12) had grossed more than $4 billion in box office sales.Scholastic commissioned a double-decker bus from England and transformed it into the triple-decker Knight Bus, complete with a star- and purple-bedecked interior. Known for transporting Potter and other wizards to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the books, the tour bus was actually a traveling studio that recorded hundreds of video clips at each library. “This was a great opportunity for fans to come together and express their joy and interest in the last book,” said Coun, who added that more than 8,000 clips were taped throughout the seven weeks. “Everyone got to make a 20-second video talking about what Harry Potter has meant to them.” Scholastic then posted a two-minute highlights compilation reel from each city on the company’s site and on You Tube. Clips that didn’t make the cut can be viewed using a unique username and password given to each participant.
Traveling at a maximum of 40 miles per hour, the Knight Bus started in New York and headed to the West Coast, visiting each library for three hours and often hitting two in one day. Four Scholastic team members were on-site at all times, handing out giveaways, playing audio clips from past Potter books, and getting video participants excited for their taping. “Fans talked to each other while waiting in line, and many read their favorite passages from the books—it was a bonding experience for everyone, a great community event,” Coun said.
Described by Coun as “the cheerleaders for the tour,” librarians in each city helped organize and publicize the event to local children and parents. In many of the towns, young fans arrived dressed as their favorite characters, wielding wands and swords. “The librarians have done a tremendous job in leading the celebration,” Coun said. “They’ve been great partners to us.”
The Knight Bus tour came about after Coun and others at Scholastic worked on a pared-down library tour for the children’s book Captain Underpants, in which the vehicle was a van modeled to resemble a giant purple potty. “That tour was not nearly as extensive as the Potter tour, but we saw the excitement it generated and the great response we got from librarians,” Coun said.
The tour came full circle on the morning of July 20, when the Knight Bus pulled behind Scholastic’s New York SoHo headquarters, temporarily dubbed “Harry Potter Place,” to kick off the hour-by-hour countdown (to an endless line of screaming fans) before the book went on sale at midnight. More than 12,000 fans visited the makeshift block party, which featured Potter-themed games and decor. With such anticipation surrounding Deathly Hallows, it's not surprising that the series finale topped records: Scholastic sold 8.3 million copies in the first 24 hours (that’s 5,763 copies per minute).
The Knight Bus tour began in June at the Today show set in New York.
Photo: Clark Jones for Scholastic
The Knight Bus tour began in June at the Today show set in New York.
Photo: Clark Jones for Scholastic
A 20-foot-tall Whomping Willow tree was part of the decor; other attractions included face-painting, wand-making, fire-eaters, magicians, jugglers, and stiltwalkers.
Photo: Clark Jones for Scholastic
Scholastic created a 50-foot-long "Muggle Board" for the daylong event at Harry Potter Place, where fans could write and post personal messages on gold stars.
Photo: Clark Jones for Scholastic
More than 12,000 people attended the celebration, which led up to the Deathly Hallows release at 12:01 a.m.
Photo: Clark Jones for Scholastic
The triple-decker bus, described as a roving studio, featured wood paneling, purple accents, and stars, which many children said was identical to J.K. Rowling’s version.
Photo: Clark Jones for Scholastic
A countdown calendar was ever-present on the bus, counting the days until the new book was available.
Photo: Clark Jones for Scholastic
The first author-signed U.S. edition of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was on display (in a sealed plastic container) throughout the day on July 20 at Harry Potter Place, a block party celebrating all things Potter behind Scholastic headquarters.
Photo: Clark Jones for Scholastic
