MUMBAI: "Aparecium!" The ink on the latest helping of Harry Potter has finally been made visible and Crossword is leaving no magic wands unwaved to give kids the true Hogwarts experience as J K Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince hit the shelves today (16 July).
The release of the sixth Potter book is expected to be the biggest ever event in the book industry, and Crossword is at the center of Pottermania in India.
The bookstore in association with ICICI Prudential Life Insurance has converted its stores into an exciting fun-filled destination for kids and adults alike.
Kids will be treated to a host of activities at the Crossword stores like getting a photograph at ICICI Pru’s SmartKid Pottermania Studio and a Tattoo Stall where kids can get Harry Potter's distinctive lightning scar painted on their forehead, an authentic sorting ceremony, where kids can find out which Hogwarts house they belong to -- Griffyndor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin. There will be badges for these houses as well. Also a Jigsaw Puzzle Stall, where each kid can come and try his/her hand at the puzzle, Magic Shows and much more is what's in store!
"We are delighted to have Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince with us – the book we’ve been eagerly awaiting for two years! The customer interest has been phenomenal – amongst both children and grown-ups – even more than the earlier books," said Crossword Bookstores Ltd chief executive officer and managing director R Sriram.
One of the highlights of Pottermania, ICICI Pru’s SmartKid Pottermania studio will bring Harry Potter alive for children by giving them a chance to don the wizard garb and pose for a memento photograph in front of Hogwarts castle.
Complete with a robe, wand, glasses and scar on the forehead, parents can see their children dressed up as the iconic wizard, and walk out with not just a book but also a treasured memory!
It’s the first time such an activity has been done in India, and is sure to be a huge hit amongst the thousands of people expected at the store on just the first day.
"We decided to use an interactive, non-intrusive platform, to reach out to parents through their kids. Harry Potter is a fantastic fit with our SmartKid brand – he is an icon for children around the world. Having a studio, where parents could see their kids dressed in Harry Potter’s robe worked as a simple and effective way of grabbing their attention in an interesting way and exposing them to ICICI Prudential," said ICICI Prudential Life Insurance head – marketing Sujit Ganguli.
ICICI Pru’s SmartKid Pottermania photograph studios will be at Crossword bookstores in Mumbai for the three consecutive weekends - 16 - 17 July, 23 - 24 July and 30 - 31 July, and in Gurgaon on 16, 23 and 30 July.
Child actor Atith Naik of Kal Ho Na Ho fame will cast a spell at the release of the new book at the Crossword Bookstore in Mumbai.
The bookstore has also lined up a slew of activities for all Potter Fans in the days to come.
Surely the "Wingardium Leviosa!" spell (which makes things fly) has been cast as far as excitement is concerned amongst us 'Muggles'!
