Harry Potter and the Coca-Cola Controversy
Nov. 16, 2001 -- Witchcraft and wizardry, magic and mystery -- this weekend marks the opening of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Kids across America are crazy with anticipation.
Ask Susan Dolensky whether her 12-year-old son Joey is excited. "He's read all four books several times," says the Atlanta mom. "I've already bought our tickets online."
But there's a big upset over an advertising campaign linked with the movie -- a brouhaha that even Harry's magic wand may not dispel.
Thanks to Coca-Cola's marketing wizards, Coke has exclusive global rights to this Harry Potter movie, possibly the sequels, too. Where you see Harry, you'll likely see Coke.
It's an arrangement that has public-health watchdogs up in arms. At the heart of the issue: childhood obesity is at epidemic proportions, with studies and statistics showing soft drinks as the primary cause.
"This is the tubbiest generation in history, and kids hardly need more encouragement to consume calories -- but that's what Coca-Cola is doing," says Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, or CSPI, a Washington-based non-profit group that focuses on health and environmental issues.
CSPI has spearheaded a SaveHarry.com campaign aimed at ending Coca-Cola's use of "Harry Potter" to market junk food to kids.
"We think it's a shame that this wonderful literary creation and now movie is being used to encourage kids to drink liquid candy, junk food, pure calories," Jacobsen tells WebMD.
Statistics show the soaring consumption of soft drinks has roughly doubled in the last 20 to 30 years, he says. "Obesity has roughly doubled in kids during over the same period."
Soda also keeps kids away from more nutritious foods -- like milk, says Jacobsen. "The big statistic here is that 25 years ago, teenagers were drinking twice as much milk as soda. Now the ratio has been reversed. Anybody who doesn't see the cause-and-effect relationship is blind to reality."
Girls who drink a lot of soda don't get all the calcium they need, setting the stage for bone fractures and osteoporosis. Dental cavities are another problem. "Fortunately Americans have lower rates of dental cavities than they did 40 years ago, but drinking so much soda pop is like driving with foot on the brake and accelerator at same time," he tells WebMD. "You've got fluoride protecting teeth but soda pop eating away at them."