The idea was to play on people's obsessive compulsion to pop bubble wrap (you know as well as we do that we're all guilty of popping a few now and then), turn them away from the boredom of waiting for the bus, and subliminally reminding them of fun times on the PlayStation 2. We say "reminding them" because, let's face it, by this point in time everyone and their neighbor had a PS2. So why then were they advertising for the PS2 when it was so widely known and successful? Here's the thing; it's not for PS2, but for the PlayStation Portable. Hear us out.
The bubble wrap was an allegory for PlayStation gaming used to propagate the message "have fun in even the most boring places," while the PlayStation 2 logo is used as a familiar reference point for people to associate with the PlayStation brand. This makes people who see future PSP ads more inclined to feel attracted to the product because they already have somewhat of an understanding of what it could mean for them. What makes this ad so great is that it is so complex, yet is presented in such a simple manner that anyone experiencing it can pick up on the messages.
7. PSP - Find Me
Now before you shake your head in disapproval of this one making the list, try to understand that this particular ad was not directed towards the core gaming crowd. This was meant to draw in the casual gamers and showcase the non-gaming aspects of the PSP. Peter Dille again explains "These marketing initiatives deliver the broader PSP brand message ..." and would you believe, this appeal to the casual crowd has been working well in Sony's favor.
The commercial follows a romanticized story about a boy who must track down this girl using only clues left to him on his memory stick and PSP. He starts searching for the girl using photos and videos stored on his memory stick and what unfolds is this adventure that plays around with human emotions and brings something as mechanical as the PSP closer to human sensibilities. The only fault we can find with this commercial would be the song choice, which doesn't really add anything to the theme and does feel out of place. Other than that, it was an excellent ad.
6. PSP - Divine Comedy
This is yet another interesting small scale marketing campaign that Sony did. The campaign appeared around July last year; it gave students an amusing solution to classroom tedium by allowing them to hide their PSPs behind disguised cutouts of Dante's Divine Comedy. On the backside, there are photo instructions showing how to use the disguise during a lecture, while a CliffNotes summary on the classic poem is provided to save students from surprise questions that may come their way.
Fortunately, the concept here was too absurd to actually be used in class so the campaign was seen as harmless and wouldn't actually cause a mass student dumbification. Comical, light-hearted -- the positive connotations showed people the fun, intelligent, and (read: tastefully) naughty side of PSP.
If you want to have one of these, perhaps it's too late to have a real one. You could, however, print out a makeshift copy out of this almost life-sized picture.
