Save Harry Case Study: Creating a successful online campaign

In 2001, Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) approached TechRocks to advise them on the launch of their 'Save Harry' online campaign. The campaign was designed to inform and mobilize the public against the $150 million advertising deal that Coca-Cola made to use images from J.K Rowling's Harry Potter books and movie for marketing the soft drink to children.

CSPI already had an aggressive organizing concept - using the publicity around the Harry Potter movie to generate coverage of their issue and motivating concerned fans of Harry Potter to write to the publisher, author, and movie producer. They had a great campaign name and URL (Save Harry), and the first draft of their website included a call to action right on the home page. CSPI specifically requested TechRocks for advice on how to generate online traffic, exposure, and actions on the SaveHarry.com website.

The Save Harry Case Study briefly explores some of the key aspects of the technical input into the campaign. Such as Audience-Driven Website Navigation and Promoting and Launching the Campaign. [Proceed to write-up]

While the CSPI coalition's efforts did not ultimately kill the marketing arrangement made between AOL-Time Warner and Coca-Cola, it effectively publicized well-founded concerns about the health impact of the soft drinks that were being marketed through the films. The website received more than two million visitors, portions of which were translated into French, Japanese, Magyarul and Spanish. The campaign also brought ancillary benefits to CSPI's broader agenda by strengthening its Internet advocacy skills and assisting in building what is now a very well populated e-mail activist-alert listserv. [CECHE]

Based on the campaign material, lesson plans also developed for teachers to highlight the cause of nutrition (or rather the lack of it in sodas) to children! [Harry lessons]