Is Sony's Marketing Division Innovative or Insane?

So I 1st started thinking things were a little wacky with Sony's advertising people when they used grafitti to advertise their PSP.  It was a guerilla ad campaign that put up hand spray-painted ads that angered denizens of the many towns targeted in the campaign.  Sony appologized and cleaned up their mess shortly after.

Then came the announcement for the PSP in white, in which one ad depicted a white woman squeezing a black woman's face.  Sure, there were ads where this scenario was reversed, but that fact did little to quell the antipathy generated by the campaign.  Ad pulled.

Then Sony got experimental with their ads both in the US and Europe.  The US ads were abstract, but the European TV spots seemed to have NOTHING to do with videogames, much less Playstation video games.  Why does seeing a hot chick drop a deuce make anyone want to buy a PS3?  The TV spots weren't as contraversial as the other ads for Sony computer products, but still... these ads seemed to be made by a crazy person. 

Also, they came out with this ad for PSP that has a man checking out what appears to be a young man's penis.  Turns out what the creepy dude really wants to play with is the kids PSP, not his penis! I GET IT!  So who plays their PSP at crotch level standing in front of a urinal anyway? Oh well, at least they had a Sony product in the commercial there at the end.

And now the headless goat used to promote God of War 2.  I wonder if anyone got fired over this, or any of these ill-recieved missteps.  If this were an isolated incident, I'd be far less concerned, but the fact is Sony has had a terrible track record with their marketing of their software, the PS3 and the PSP, and although I applaud them for trying new things, their efforts to innovate seem to have been recieved poorly. 

So what do you think of Sony's marketing hijinks?  Innovative, or insane?

neither... the correct answer is:

bad

I believe you can add Chad Warden to that list.

I think Sony knows that they have a huge army of haters and see them as walking advertisments. These kind of marketing provokes them and makes them spread the word very fast. 

Lame, those ''this is living'' commercials make me PUKE everytime I see them...

Example...

It's not that bad... but it has NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PS3  ! 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTThqzQ8zuQ

Seriously....you could download this off of the PS store....wtf sony? How's that going to sell PS3s?

I love the psp black & white poster. I think it's really well done from a esthetic point of view.

And the goat thing has been debunked by sony, and wasn't meant for the public. So it was some guy whose trying to make

a name for himself. 

The doll, I just don't get it.... the other white rooms are kinda cool, though 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTThqzQ8zuQ

Seriously....you could download this off of the PS store....wtf sony? How's that going to sell PS3s?

SkyCastleDan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTThqzQ8zuQ

Seriously....you could download this off of the PS store....wtf sony? How's that going to sell PS3s?

SkyCastleDan

What was that. WTF.

[QUOTE="SkyCastleDan"]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTThqzQ8zuQ

Seriously....you could download this off of the PS store....wtf sony? How's that going to sell PS3s?

donalbane

I saw the full poem version in the theatres before Blades of Glory. More people laughed harder at it than at the movie later on....embarressed me as a PS3 owner really.

I think that although they are trying new things, they don't put enough emphasis on the product and it's features.  They should boast about the Blue Ray and the games, but they don't even mention the product at all sometimes, and that's just plain confusing... at least to me.  I'm ready for some more conventional ads, personally.

Of course, Microsoft's Jump In campaign was a bitt off kilter too... but it was at least loosely related to gaming and the community aspects of Live.  I loved 360 commercial that was banned with the people pretending to shoot each other with imaginary weapons.  That's an example of being innovative without confusing the consumer.

So I 1st started thinking things were a little wacky with Sony's advertising people when they used grafitti to advertise their PSP. It was a guerilla ad campaign that put up hand spray-painted ads that angered denizens of the many towns targeted in the campaign. Sony appologized and cleaned up their mess shortly after.

Then came the announcement for the PSP in white, in which one ad depicted a white woman squeezing a black woman's face. Sure, there were ads where this scenario was reversed, but that fact did little to quell the antipathy generated by the campaign. Ad pulled.

Then Sony got experimental with their ads both in the US and Europe. The US ads were abstract, but the European TV spots seemed to have NOTHING to do with videogames, much less Playstation video games. Why does seeing a hot chick drop a deuce make anyone want to buy a PS3? The TV spots weren't as contraversial as the other ads for Sony computer products, but still... these ads seemed to be made by a crazy person.

And now the headless goat used to promote God of War 2. I wonder if anyone got fired over this, or any of these ill-recieved missteps. If this were an isolated incident, I'd be far less concerned, but the fact is Sony has had a terrible track record with their marketing of their software, the PS3 and the PSP, and although I applaud them for trying new things, their efforts to innovate seem to have been recieved poorly.

So what do you think of Sony's marketing hijinks? Innovative, or insane?

donalbane

they are insane but its get peoples attetion and people still buy tehir products. 

[QUOTE="donalbane"]

So I 1st started thinking things were a little wacky with Sony's advertising people when they used grafitti to advertise their PSP. It was a guerilla ad campaign that put up hand spray-painted ads that angered denizens of the many towns targeted in the campaign. Sony appologized and cleaned up their mess shortly after.

Then came the announcement for the PSP in white, in which one ad depicted a white woman squeezing a black woman's face. Sure, there were ads where this scenario was reversed, but that fact did little to quell the antipathy generated by the campaign. Ad pulled.

Then Sony got experimental with their ads both in the US and Europe. The US ads were abstract, but the European TV spots seemed to have NOTHING to do with videogames, much less Playstation video games. Why does seeing a hot chick drop a deuce make anyone want to buy a PS3? The TV spots weren't as contraversial as the other ads for Sony computer products, but still... these ads seemed to be made by a crazy person.

And now the headless goat used to promote God of War 2. I wonder if anyone got fired over this, or any of these ill-recieved missteps. If this were an isolated incident, I'd be far less concerned, but the fact is Sony has had a terrible track record with their marketing of their software, the PS3 and the PSP, and although I applaud them for trying new things, their efforts to innovate seem to have been recieved poorly.

So what do you think of Sony's marketing hijinks? Innovative, or insane?

ff7isnumbaone

they are insane but its get peoples attetion and people still buy tehir products. 

lol, not recently they don't!

Marketing insane or innovative?   Isn't all marketing judged purely by the final result anyway? Rosencrantz

So the PS2 was an inferior machine which only sold because of Sony's marketing team and hype, yet their marketing department is insane and sucks. Which one is it?ramey70

Sony's marketing for the Ps2 was actually good, they've gone south since the release of the psp.

[QUOTE="ramey70"]So the PS2 was an inferior machine which only sold because of Sony's marketing team and hype, yet their marketing department is insane and sucks. Which one is it?-DarthVader-

Nobody said anything about the PS2... I began wondering what was up with the grafitti campaign.  I actually liked the PS9 commercial used to sell PS2s a great deal.

Sony's marketing for the Ps2 was actually good, they've gone south since the release of the psp.

[QUOTE="-DarthVader-"]

[QUOTE="ramey70"]So the PS2 was an inferior machine which only sold because of Sony's marketing team and hype, yet their marketing department is insane and sucks. Which one is it?donalbane

Sony's marketing for the Ps2 was actually good, they've gone south since the release of the psp.

um can you read...someone did bring up the ps2

"So the PS2 was an inferior machine which only sold because of Sony's marketing team and hype, yet their marketing department is insane and sucks. Which one is it? "

[QUOTE="SkyCastleDan"]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTThqzQ8zuQ

Seriously....you could download this off of the PS store....wtf sony? How's that going to sell PS3s?

skingus

What was that. WTF.

That was great and why the bathroom....Who knows it just random

[QUOTE="donalbane"][QUOTE="-DarthVader-"]

[QUOTE="ramey70"]So the PS2 was an inferior machine which only sold because of Sony's marketing team and hype, yet their marketing department is insane and sucks. Which one is it?-DarthVader-

Sony's marketing for the Ps2 was actually good, they've gone south since the release of the psp.

um can you read...someone did bring up the ps2

"So the PS2 was an inferior machine which only sold because of Sony's marketing team and hype, yet their marketing department is insane and sucks. Which one is it? "

Horrible ads, very horrible.

Neither innovative or insane, just plain bad. 

Theres certainly some of both, though I think SCE is more towards the insane side.

Also let me just say..that "White is Coming" ad WAS NOT racist, people just read into it that way. See the whole set and then you'll understand that it was supposed to be sexy.

Theres certainly some of both, though I think SCE is more towards the insane side.

Also let me just say..that "White is Coming" ad WAS NOT racist, people just read into it that way. See the whole set and then you'll understand that it was supposed to be sexy.

Runningflame570

TC, add this ad to your list:

http://kotaku.com/gaming/psp/clip-and-the-psp-pedo-teen-ads-start-249812.php 

Let's not forget the dustballs who yell inane things before the title of a PSP game pops up.Ninja-Vox

Let's not forget the dustballs who yell inane things before the title of a PSP game pops up.Ninja-Vox

they were great.. not as good as the squirrels, though

I'd hit that! :D  

Hm... well, lets see.
A baby cries as a Rubic's Cube explodes into a murder of crows. Buy a PS3.

... definately insane. 

Let's not forget the dustballs who yell inane things before the title of a PSP game pops up.Ninja-Vox

I heard they pretty much got everybody that did ps2 adds (or tried to) and gave them free reign.  I doubt sony will make that mistake again.  It seems like it's been bad PR all over the place.jrhawk42

Without a doubt they are bat**** insane.

And to hell with "Any press is good press". Only a moron truly believes that. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTThqzQ8zuQ

Seriously....you could download this off of the PS store....wtf sony? How's that going to sell PS3s?

SkyCastleDan

*goes back to dead headless goat and drinks cup of warm blood as he chants to sony in pagan tongue*

[QUOTE="SkyCastleDan"]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTThqzQ8zuQ

Seriously....you could download this off of the PS store....wtf sony? How's that going to sell PS3s?

NextGenNow

*goes back to dead headless goat and drinks cup of warm blood as he chants to sony in pagan tongue*

I'd say both, leaning towards insane though.grassdream