The New PSP Billboard

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The New PSP Billboard


You stay classy, Sony.

[raydeen]

Wow. I wonder if they just don't get it. Or maybe they do and just don't give a fuck because it's not offensive in their culture. Like Tokyo Breakfast.

[zero]

odd

[Lantyssa]

Don't forget their graffiti campaign for that one game a bit ago.

[Savant]

I highly doubt this came from Japan, but a US-based ad agency instead. 

Wherever it came from, it has served its purpose and gotten you talking about the PSP. 

BTW, the Discuss link from the main page seems to be teh broken.

[schild]

I would like to think it came from Japanese people.

As for getting us talking about something. I have become convinced that not all marketing and press is good. In fact, very little of this is. Sony is proving this to us time and time again. They're changing the rules of engagement. Ironically, they're making everyone else look better. Or maybe that was their strategy all along.

[Megrim]

I recon it would have been a little more classier if they were arm wrestling.

[raydeen]

Maybe they just never dropped that whole 'Shock and Awe' campaign idea.

[Savant]

I agree that the mantra all publicity is good publicity is a rule with many exceptions.  It'll be interesting to find out how the PS3 does is relation to the 360 and Wii this generation, judging solely from the vocal Sony backlash going on right now.

Say for example you have a (mediocre) game that has very little press or following.  Even with a marketing budget behind it, it's probably going to fail... the question is, if you made a video of that game blowing up a cute puppy and put it up on youtube, getting everyone riled up into a frenzy - would you sell more copies?  Someone should blow up a puppy to test this theory.

[Righ]

Almost certainly TBWA / Chiat Day again. Yes, they are trying to skirt the boundaries of decency and good taste, and have been in front of standards bodies in a dozen countries. Send your outrage to Sony, they're the people who choose the ads.

[Trippy]

BTW, the Discuss link from the main page seems to be teh broken.

It is?

[schild]

Yea, it was, I fixed it.

[Xanthippe]

What the hell?

The last time I saw such an ill-advised ad campaign (that I recall anyway, my mind has been a sieve since childbearing) was when I saw some clothing ad in the front of Rolling Stone that featured a woman on all fours wearing a scanty outfit with a spiked dog collar and she was licking a man's boot.  I called the company to complain about the ad, and was told that it was a European company who was used to advertising to a more sophisticated audience. 

I can't recall the name of the company.  Never heard of them again.

[schild]

That's a brilliant answer.

I should use that.

"Used to dealing with a more sophisticated audience."

That's a fucking tagline! Nice!

[Trippy]

Yea, it was, I fixed it.

What was the problem?

[schild]

I edited the title of the article like a noob (actually by mistake).

[Kail]

Don't forget their graffiti campaign for that one game a bit ago.

Was it like their old PSP ads?

Say for example you have a (mediocre) game that has very little press or following.  Even with a marketing budget behind it, it's probably going to fail... the question is, if you made a video of that game blowing up a cute puppy and put it up on youtube, getting everyone riled up into a frenzy - would you sell more copies?  Someone should blow up a puppy to test this theory.

For a poorly marketed, mediocre product, I suspect it would do better.  There are enough morons out there that some people will find anything funny/compelling/trendy/cool/whatever enough to influence their decision to purchase the product.  You've just got to make sure all the morons see it (which is where we come in!).

The problem is that I don't see this working for something that's aiming for anywhere above "mediocre," and I don't know how many companies can survive off of mediocre.  Acclaim pulled a ton of offensive/controversial crap to get their name in the news (offering parents $10,000 to name their kids Turok, offering to pay for people's funerals in return for ad space on the headstone,  putting up billboards that actually dribbled fake blood down the wall, etc. etc), and last I checked, they were doing, um, not so well.

[Margalis]

That would be a lot better if she had a whip in her free hand.

[Righ]

One of the more recent series of complaints about PSP ads in the UK were not upheld.

[raydeen]

I have nothing better to do today.

http://whiteiscoming.ytmnd.com/

[caladein]

The racist has oddly shaped feet.

The racist has oddly shaped feet.

[Lantyssa]

Say for example you have a (mediocre) game that has very little press or following.  Even with a marketing budget behind it, it's probably going to fail... the question is, if you made a video of that game blowing up a cute puppy and put it up on youtube, getting everyone riled up into a frenzy - would you sell more copies?  Someone should blow up a puppy to test this theory.

25 to Life.

It might help various legislatures get riled up, but I don't think it helps sell more copies.  We've had disturbing gameplay.  We cannot push it much further without getting into territory that offends just about everyone.  If it does not have actual fun gameplay, people won't have a reason to buy it.

[Morfiend]

That would be a lot better if she had a whip in her free hand.

^^

[Driakos]

That would be a lot better if she had a whip in her free hand.

^^

Her hand is gloved too...  Black folk are unsafe to touch!

You could start a riot with this billboard in the right neighborhood.

[Hutch]

I have nothing better to do today.

http://whiteiscoming.ytmnd.com/

Thumbs up  :-D

Who is doing the "Ebony and Ivory" cover, btw?

[bhodi]

sounds like adam sandler.

[Trippy]

Sony defends PSP ad following accusations of racism

[schild]

Not interesting anymore as it's in the fucking Netherlands. What do they have over there? Eight black people total? Meh. Drama gone. oh well.

[Yoru]

Not interesting anymore as it's in the fucking Netherlands. What do they have over there? Eight black people total? Meh. Drama gone. oh well.

But but but.. Zwarte Piet!

[Trippy]

Not interesting anymore as it's in the fucking Netherlands. What do they have over there? Eight black people total? Meh. Drama gone. oh well.

Plus they are a more sophisticated audience.

[Cyrrex]

Not interesting anymore as it's in the fucking Netherlands. What do they have over there? Eight black people total? Meh. Drama gone. oh well.

Not because I know for a fact or anything, but I actually think they have a fairly high ratio of dark skinned persons in NL.  I am not sure where I get this impression from, but there you go.

I can say on authority, however, that they DO have a high ratio of otherwise normal professional people who gather around and eat peanut butter sandwiches during their lunch hour.  And milk.  It's all very sophisticated.

[stray]

I was under the impression that the Netherlands had about as big a melting pot as you're going to get in Europe. And not only that, but that it's been that way for hundreds of years.

[Teleku]

Christ, it even looks like she is doing the whole teeth inspection before purchase routine.  Dumb ass's.

And considering the Dutch played (as I recall) a massive roll in the slave trade, they should have at least more than a couple there.

[Strazos]

Amsterdam is a very mixed city.

[raydeen]

I have nothing better to do today.

http://whiteiscoming.ytmnd.com/

Thumbs up  :-D

Who is doing the "Ebony and Ivory" cover, btw?

Helge and the Firefuckers. Don't ask, I'd never heard of 'em either. Just happened to run across it doing a dogpile search for 'Ebony and Ivory' much like that acapella version of 'When Doves Cry' Dogpile can find some really interesting song covers. I've got a neat cover somewhere of 'Space Age Love Song'. Can't remember who did it right now, but it was pretty cool. Anyway, the link to the site is in the ytmnd profile.