Sony's new PSP ad: a boon for race relations?

[Kougar]

Does anyone know if this is true, or simply a photoshop job by someone to mar Sony? I didn't think Sony could be this stupid... can they? Should I even ask... :roll:

Sony has a long entry in the encyclopedia of poorly thought-out advertising. They started by spraypainting things, and then went on to place obscene messages in subways. Then you had those terrible commercials where they liken the PSP to a "nut you can play with outside." Yay. Let me get my wallet out, I need a new outside nut.

This new one is great. (http://pspupdates.qj.net/Another-Unconventional-Ad-From-Sony-UPDATED/pg/49/aid/57882)The billboard shows a stark-white woman with her hand at the throat of a scared looking black man. The headline? "White is coming." Nice. They need to get the word out about the ceramic white PSP, but is their plan simply to get as many headlines as possible using advertising that gets negative attention? It's clearly working, we're talking about it, but is that the only way Sony thinks they can make waves with their products?

So what do you think? Is this an effective ad? Which is more offensive, the potential racial issues, or that woman's hair?

Excerpt from http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2006/7/4/4523 (http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2006/7/4/4523)

http://origin.arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.media/psp%20white.jpg

[GIBSON]

the billboard does look a bit photoshopped (it makes me think about some ingame billboard) but it might as well be the camera. Anyhow if this is true, then it's just plain stupid.

[mousiness]

umm wtf is that, oh and BTW just the other day i saw a white PSP for sale on ebay it was fetching around 300 pounds it was really selling dont know about the auction today though, and about the color white, whoever has a white ipod will enjoy it although you see much better in a black edging, id rather have a black psp

[GIBSON]

umm wtf is that, oh and BTW just the other day i saw a white PSP for sale on ebay it was fetching around 300 pounds it was really selling dont know about the auction today though, and about the color white, whoever has a white ipod will enjoy it although you see much better in a black edging, id rather have a black psp
i'd just be happy to have one, colour would really be secondary (well, as long as it aint pink;-) )

[mousiness]

pink is cool lol jk, i have my reservations on color, i went to a local futureshop store (gay) to buy an ipod and i thought in my mind if there aint black im not taking it, and there wasnt, so i went the day after when they had the shipping come in and i got a black one :wink:

[Kougar]

Well, here's the original source for the above blog http://pspupdates.qj.net/Another-Unconventional-Ad-From-Sony-UPDATED/pg/49/aid/57882 (http://pspupdates.qj.net/Another-Unconventional-Ad-From-Sony-UPDATED/pg/49/aid/57882) It does appear to be part of a series...

And after finding this, I no longer doubt Sony would pull something as tasteless as this.

The UK-Government backed Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has opted not to uphold the 45 complaints filed against Sony Computer Entertainment Europe for its PSP advertising campaign, which included a series of posters that were primarily placed in outdoor locations, as well as on billboards and buses.

The posters, which were part of a campaign created by TBWA London for Sony to promote the unique features of the PSP handheld, each contained one of four different phrases: "Strong language and scenes of a sexual nature here", "Your girlfriend's white bits here", "Take a running jump here", and "Saucy emails won't get you fired here". Source (http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=9801)

[Das Capitolin]

I can't believe they would pull the race card just to announce a colored release of it's PSP. I mean, is it really worth it? It's just a new color, not a new product.

[tomato]

Ouch, better call up Sony PR ASAP! On a related note, couldn't you just buy a white skin/shell off ebay or where ever? I've read some articles/how-to's and it doesn't seem like a too complicated job...

Besides, black is classic and bad-ass ;) :)

[werty316]

I bet some people will think its a new version of the DS if they seen a PSP before.

[mousiness]

lol they wish hehe, you mean never seen a psp before right?

[werty316]

Yeah I have seen one and they look damn slick but why white colored? youmight as well make a pink colored PSP if SOny is gonna make a white colored version. Black is more sick.

For existing users who want a white PSP, it an easy step of taking some spray pant and bingo you have a white PSP.

[tomato]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6153816.html

"California politician claims publisher stopped running its ad campaign in the Netherlands; apologized to those who were offended."

It looks likes someone at Sony PR will soon be receiving a pink slip in their "inbox" :P

[GIBSON]

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6153816.html

"California politician claims publisher stopped running its ad campaign in the Netherlands; apologized to those who were offended."

It looks likes someone at Sony PR will soon be receiving a pink slip in their "inbox" :P
I don't really get that one, have I been playing to much need for speed: most wanted, or is there another meaning to the word "pink slip" :confused:

[werty316]

...an ad featuring a Caucasian woman holding a black woman by the jaw in a threatening manner was decried as racially insensitive.

That about sums it up nicely.

[Kougar]

A "pink slip" is a metaphor for being fired from your job. A little more info on it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_slip (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pink_slip)

Frankly, this sort of stuff is nothing new for Sony. It's all probably from the exact same person that will be doing some new stupid PR thing in the near future... :roll:

[werty316]

I don't know how this kind of ad would even get approved? Makes you think as to what kind of people are running things.