Are Coke and Harry Potter an Unhealthy Alliance?

Nov. 8 -- They love to see millions of schoolchildren devouring the Harry Potter book series, but the thought of those same kids guzzling cans of Coca-Cola has a group of health advocates all stirred up.

Coca-Cola reportedly paid Warner Bros. $150 million for exclusive global marketing rights to the upcoming movie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, inspired by the popular children's series about Harry Potter, an orphaned boy wizard.

The ad campaign includes the placement of Harry Potter-related images, such as his owl and castle, on the packaging for Coca-Cola, Minute Maid and Hi-C products. There will not be product placement in the movie, nor will there be images of the beloved wizard drinking Coke. Plus, Coke said it would not use any of the common gimmicks aimed at children, such as sweepstakes and giveaways.

A Sugary Brew

Still, doctors and academics are riled up about any link between Harry Potter — a character admired by children and adults alike — and drinks they say are full of empty calories and sugar.

Michael Jacobson is the executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a non-profit group known for its efforts to get nutrition labels on all food products.

On Good Morning America, Jacobson said the Harry Potter Coke ads are more troubling than the typical fast-food tie-in.

"From now on when people say 'Harry Potter,' a lot of kids are not going to think about the book or movie, they're going to think about Coca-Cola," Jacobson said. "They're turning Harry Potter into a sales vehicle for junk food."

Jacobson's group has launched a "Save Harry" e-mail campaign to urge Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling to "kill the deal with Coca-Cola" to help protect children's health. The campaign's Web site, www.SaveHarry.com, describes the health effects of what it calls Coke's "liquid candy" products, and cites a joint letter of support from a coalition of 56 professors, physicians and social activists.

ABCNEWS' Dr. Tim Johnson said people should be concerned about soda intake, largely because it often means kids skip nutritious drinks, like milk, for pop. But he doesn't think this one ad campaign will have a severe impact.