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SCEA marketing VP talks about crying babies
With the PS3 a paltry few hours away, Sony heads are pulling all the stops to make those who don't get one feel better less angry about the situation. One of those Sony heads hard at work is Peter Dille, senior VP of marketing at SCEA. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Dille feels good about Sony's marketing direction. In an interview with N'Gai Croal of Newsweek, Mr. Dille calls the (in)famous crying baby ad "the ultimate Rorschach test." He explains that whatever you feel about the PS3 after watching the commercials that "those answers are true, if that's what it means to you." He also goes on to dismiss Microsoft's accelerated demos for Gold members and blogging community, indicating the PS3 is in a far better position in both areas. So, if the crying baby ad is the ultimate Rorschach test -- and whatever we think about it is true -- does that mean the PS3 is creepy and disturbing if we felt that way? While Mr. Dille is quite confident in Sony's efforts, we haven't exactly seen this massive influx of positive buzz about the PS3. Trucking out a bunch of celebrities isn't proof; they're what we call paid spokespeople.
A strange French PS2 ad hits the web for July
You have to hand it to Sony. They're not afraid to try anything with their advertising. The above (NSFW) clip was produced by the French ad agency, TBWA-Paris, for the PlayStation France online gallery (Artcade). Though the ad may never see the television light of day, maybe the bald dude at the end is used to pay tribute to Zinedine "Headbutt" Zidane."It freaks me out, baby! Yeah..."[Thanks, Franck; via Artcade]
UK PSP advertisements ruled as inoffensive
It all started with a few tongue-in-cheek posters Sony put up to promote the PSP -- simple posters, with phrases such as "Your girlfriend's white bits here" and "Take a running leap." Sony voluntarily took down the latter poster, which was found near subway rails, but the prickly PSP posters prompted complaints from the population (say that three times fast).The Advertising Standards Authority, who investigated the ad campaign after receiving 45 complains, has ruled that the posters were inoffensive and irreverent ways to promote the PSP's multimedia capabilities. The ASA has dismissed all the complaints.You can view the ASA's verdict by clicking on the adjacent image.[via GamesIndustry.biz]
Fuss over Sony PSP ads in the UK
In the wake of Sony's graffiti-fuelled advertising campaign, the games giant has tried a fresh start, plastering public transport in the UK with enticing slogans. However, the slogans seem to have caused more trouble than necessary; an advert on a Manchester platform encouraging travellers to "take a running jump" has been deemed inappropriate and is due to be removed.Elsewhere, in London, large Tube ads encouraging users to seemingly fill their PSPs with porn have caused some confusion. Could this be another attempt to whip up interest in Sony's advertising campaign, or are they simply a couple of misguided messages that looked better in the boardroom?[Thanks, Dave]
Disturbing "disruptive" PS2 ad
TBWA, one of the world's largest ad firms, is responsible for the ubiquitous neon iPod ads and the unfortunate PSP graffiti ads that have municipalities all riled up. They call their unique brand of advertising "disruptive." They break it down this way, "TBWA = Disruption." Alright, got it.I suppose the above PS2 ad is disruptive then, if you accept that disturbing can be disruptive. Sure, the male/female electrical outlet faces are pretty creepy, but the shirtless dude "watching" them is what really pushes this one over the creepy cliff. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an inexplicable desire to really play some PS2...
Sony's fony graffiti sparks lashback
Sony's guerilla graffiti campaign promoting the PSP in Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and San Francisco has pissed some folks off. The best way to fight corporate graffiti? With graffiti, of course. Pictured here: one vandal's response to the PSP ad campaign. Sony's not the only company that has co-opted modes of underground expression. Rockstar plasters NYC with stickers, Microsoft did the same to promote MSN, and so on. A bit of the ire directed at Sony probably has to do with the whole rootkit fiasco. [Via Digg]
Sony PSP advertising hits the streets
Looks like Ken Kutaragi's been "getting up" on the streets of New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, and San Francisco where a series of PSP-inspired graffiti art has been spotted. The chalk drawings and posters illustrate cartoonish looking children playing with oversized PSPs. So is this a legitimate Sony marketing campaign perfectly timed for next week's holiday shopping rush, or the workings of some carefully-coordinated, underground PSP-loving cult? Visit the Wooster Collective for more images and decide for yourselves.
The Passion of PS? Vatican calls Sony ad "irreverent"
Sony appears to have released a peculiarly Italian ad to celebrate the PlayStation's tenth year, but it's raised the ire of Vatican officials due to its connection to the Christ. The ad "features a young man's face, encircled by what appears to be a crown of thorns, but on closer inspection is actually the square, circle, and triangle shapes of the PlayStation controller." Underneath, it reads: "Dieci anni di passione" - which means "Ten years of passion," an obvious allusion to Mel Gibson's movie (The Passion of the Christ) and the suffering of Jesus. Predictably, the Vatican did not respond with enthusiastic praise. Cardinal Ersilio Tonini called the advertisement "irreverent," and warned: "Now children can think that the Passion of Christ is a game." Considering Sony's censorship of religious imagery in the past, however, it seems unlikely that the license will be picked up anytime soon. Follow this link to see the source of the ad yourself. [Thanks, Tim]
