Without a doubt, just one look at this billboard and you can clearly see what the whole commotion was all about. This ad from Holland sparked scores of controversy way back in 2006. While the various images of this ad campaign were certainly not intended to be racist, they definitely did very little to give people any reason not to interpret it that way. The fault here rested in Sony's naivety to have not thought that people would associate these images of human beings with historical sensitivities rather than the lifeless machines they're supposed to portray.
Sony defended their campaign as "clever marketing" but ultimately pulled the campaign out completely. Sure, it was clever to use powerful and provocative images like this as a metaphor for the PSP's color schemes, but it doesn't mean that it was tasteful. Just one tip, marketing/advertising isn't just about how clever you make your ads; what matters most is how people understand it and act upon it. Try to figure that out Sony, and then maybe this feature wouldn't have existed.
1. PSP - "All I want for Xmas is a PSP" Flog
The absolute worst marketing blunder ever done by Sony was the "All I want for Xmas is a PSP" flog from the holiday season of 2006. The reason why this one reigns supreme as the worst is because this was the most insulting to consumer intelligence. The idea of the flog itself was to pose as two regular Joe's (Charlie & Jeremy) who post amateur videos and supposedly personal writings in an attempt to get Jeremy's parents to buy the "teen" a PSP for Christmas. However, not a shred of content on the site was real (including some faked visitor comments); the flog was a complete lie and undermined consumer trust as the site was registered and run by viral marketer Zipatoni. When the jig was up, the internet was ablaze with both shock and disgust.
The aftermath? Well, within the same month that the "All I want for Xmas" flog went down, the Federal Trade Commission started to finally take notice of the issue on unethical marketing tactics endorsed by Sony and other alike corporate giants. From then on, it was necessary for companies to fully disclose any viral campaign plans. This campaign was so bad and ill-received that Sony won an award beating out McDonald's and Walmart for "Best flog of 2006."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
5-30-2008 @ 5:08PM
Daniel said...
So, next week you're gonna do a "10 BEST Playstation Ads" or is it all doom and gloom?
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5-30-2008 @ 6:27PM
ddd said...
Of course they won't, that won't help the Joystiq/Xbox fanboys editor's hidden agenda.
5-30-2008 @ 6:57PM
Mr.ESC said...
Top 10 worst X things = Lulz.
Top 10 best X things = *snore.
Just look at Cracked.com
5-31-2008 @ 6:03AM
BlackBeltJones said...
I don't think they could come up with 10, the only Sony brand commercials I ever liked were the Crash Bandicoot ones.
6-10-2008 @ 7:05PM
Joe P said...
@ddd http://www.ps3fanboy.com/2008/06/10/dont-underestimate-the-power-of-playstation-10-best-ads/
Now put your tinfoil hat away.
5-30-2008 @ 5:16PM
Maxx said...
As Hanibal aged he started to see the other members of the A-team in a whole new way.
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5-30-2008 @ 5:18PM
Matthew M said...
This wasn't an advert, but follows the same idea of contorversial marketing. Remember the God of War II launch party? They cut off the head of a goat and had naked women at the event. Strange, no?
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5-30-2008 @ 5:27PM
Sam B said...
Being a fun of surrealism and generally wtf artforms, some of the ads do interest me. They weren't what convinced me to buy them (i don't think i'd seen any apart from the psp poster ads in real life), and they certainly aren't good ads. They wouldn't convince me to buy something. Just nice little insane pieces.
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5-30-2008 @ 5:31PM
GamerXYZ said...
Yeah, Sony know how to creep people out. But the baby advert is scary.
Why?! Why not get someone to help you advertise?! Like Apple? Or the people who do Crusha! Better yet, get FOX to help!
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5-30-2008 @ 5:46PM
Zachary Hinchliffe said...
I actually really loved that french ad. I think you guys are overthinking it when you say it's insulting the target audience.
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5-30-2008 @ 5:47PM
Zachary Hinchliffe said...
Oh, and if you're doing 10 Best PlayStation ads? The PlayStation 9 commercial from the PS2 launch better be in there.
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5-30-2008 @ 6:52PM
mathab said...
you betcha it will! ;)
5-30-2008 @ 5:50PM
MacKinnon said...
Yea, I kinda agree with Daniel. ps3fanboy.com has a hard time posting positive information on ps3...fanboy... site. Most of these ad's are very much still fresh in my mind, & preferably forgotten if at all possible. There's no need to post this, especially not on a 'fanboy' site. It's not 'news', it's a rehash of what Sony's messed up on.
Thanks ?
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5-30-2008 @ 5:57PM
Philip said...
Strange that so many on the list are from Europe. Foreign = bad, maybe?
I like the TV spots listed here. They're quirky and different, which is quite nice in an industry that likes to play it as safe as the video game one does.
Oh, and #10 reminds me most of this sketch from Big Train: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcMuTsBFQTE
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5-30-2008 @ 6:00PM
Duff_B said...
I honestly don't think I have ever seen a good PSP ad - such a shame. All I remember are the crap dustballs...
If Sony got their act together in terms of advertising and customer care (Playstation Europe Blog? Better store content?) they could rule the gaming world, instead of having to compete with Microsoft and Nintendo.
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5-30-2008 @ 6:06PM
Mark said...
Curious how the majority are European ads. Me thinks they especially need to fire all their European ad firms and hire new ones.
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5-30-2008 @ 6:09PM
Pralaya said...
sony provides the best ads out there. sorry you can't get it, maybe you are too busy on getting yourself seriously. commercials are useless, they are the art of illusion, who is able to think really don't need them at all.
I'm european. I like sony propakanda. I'm not the only one, here.
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5-30-2008 @ 6:13PM
Deadpool said...
SCEE ads have offended 2 of my 5 senses....maybe even 3.
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5-30-2008 @ 6:37PM
Sebastien said...
Don't really understand what the fuzz is about. The ad with the naked guy is right on the spot! One of the best ads i've seen so far for PS3. I'm from Europe so i'm used to ads that make you think twice of what is shown and this one really clear on the message: PS3 is lots of fun!
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5-30-2008 @ 6:39PM
Charlie_Six said...
You guys forgot the David Lynch PS2 ad: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=msMehuZo3x8
I kinda liked the City of Lost Children-style ad.
Everything else was freaking awful.
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