Harry Potter fans, rejoice! Vans, the famous shoe brand, recently announced that Harry Potter Vans merchandise is in the works.
Savor that for a moment as there are few details about the collaboration between the brands. But it’s enough to make Potterhead excited for obvious reasons. Even the fact that Vans hasn’t made any announcement about the release date, styles, and prices won’t deter die-hard fans.
Vans made the announcement on social media and it has caught on like wildfire. The company tweeted, “Something magical coming soon.”
The tweet was accompanied by a hypnotic motion poster – a rainbow of colors and black lines moving in psychedelic rhythm in the background. The poster also featured the Harry Potter logo on top of the Vans logo, a sure sign of the highly anticipated collaboration.
But Vans stopped short with the teaser and didn’t reveal more details. The tweet, nonetheless, included a link to the Harry Potter page on Van’s official website – and even that didn’t reveal one or two precious details.
The Harry Potter page, however, displayed the logos of the four Hogwarts houses – Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Slytherin and Hufflepuff. This may be an indication that Vans will be offering a wide range of merchandise – not just shoes – to represent every Hogwarts house.
Said speculation is reinforced by the message on the page, “Vans and Harry Potter collaborated to conjure up a magical collection of footwear, apparel, and accessories for witches, wizards, and muggles alike.”
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And with millions of fans worldwide, the Harry Potter collection for Vans will likely be among the brand’s most popular merchandise. The Harry Potter brand, which now includes the Wizarding World brand for the Fantastic Beasts franchise, isn’t slowing down nearly two decades after the first movie was released.
Many industry analysts even mocked the frenzy, known as Pottermania, surrounding Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, the first film in the franchise. Private Eye, a magazine, even fabricated merchandise with ridiculous names, such as Harry Potter potato peeler, as a satirical commentary about J.K. Rowling’s wizarding universe.
But what was ridiculous 18 years ago is reality now, and it’s a juggernaut that sees no slowing down even with the huge popularity of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The lineup of Harry Potter-inspired merchandise ranges from egg cup and toast cutter set to makeup brushes, lip balms, and slippers, even a Hagrid-inspired bauble.
Indeed, there’s a Harry Potter merchandise for every preference and occasion! With the upcoming launch of the Vans Harry Potter collection, Potterheads can dress themselves from head to toe with everything related to the Boy Who Lived and his friends.
This begs the question: Why is Harry Potter merchandise so ubiquitous and beloved?
The answer lies in the broad appeal of Harry Potter among all walks of life, gender preferences, and age. During film premieres, book and merchandise launches, and other brand-related activities, the fans include men, women and children who are willing to spend time, energy and money to enjoy Harry Potter’s world.
And the modern Harry Potter fandom will likely not run out of new fans in the foreseeable future. One of the reasons for its enduring popularity: Parents and older siblings, as well as other family members, introduce the younger ones to Harry, Ron and Hermione and their adventures in the magical and muggle world.
The Harry Potter brand is also expanding, thanks to J.K. Rowling’s new franchise, Fantastic Beasts. The spin-off and prequel to the Harry Potter books and films, the new franchise is just as successful as its predecessor. The early success of Wizarding World, a new but related brand, is proof of it.
Even the high-end brands are getting on the Harry Potter train. Galeries Lafayette, a high-end department store in Paris, held a pop-up Potter store in November 2018.
The introduction of these magic-infused, so to speak, everyday items reinforces the idea that, indeed, Potterheads are proud of their near-obsession with the story and the brand. The products include fashionable non-replica kitchenware, stationery, and cookie cutters, as well as clothes, infinity scarves, and bags.
With the upcoming introduction of the Vans Harry Potter-inspired shoes, clothes and accessories, Potter fans will have more choices. And the more choices there are, the better toward expressing yourself, wizarding-style.
J.K. Rowling’s books on Harry Potter is among the most successful series in the contemporary world. The movie franchise is considered as among the most successful in history with gross worldwide earnings of more than $7.7 billion, excluding the Fantastic Beasts movies.
Vans is a manufacturer of skateboarding shoes and related apparel. Founded by James Van Doren, Paul Van Doren, Gordon C. Lee, and Serge D’Elia in March 1966, it’s among the more recognizable brand in the world. With its Harry Potter tie-up, it may well benefit more than the Harry Potter brand will in the long run.
