SydLexia.com - The Forums :: View topic - Sony and the Adventure of the Backfiring Marketing Scheme

Joined: Feb 24 2006 Posts: 2578

I just heard about this a couple hours ago thanks to Penny-Arcade.

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/games/archives/2006/12/11/new_sony_viral_marketing_ploy_angers_consumers.html

So, yeah. Sony = completely fucking stupid.

Posted: Dec 13 2006 01:50 pm

Still not as bad as their OTHER viral marketing campaign for the PSP where they hired people to spraypaint creepy ass children everywhere.

"Sony admitted in late 2005 to hiring graffiti artists to spray paint advertisements for the PSP in seven major U.S. cities including New York City, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. The mayor of Philadelphia has filed a cease and desist order and may file a criminal complaint. According to Sony, they are paying businesses and building owners for the right to graffiti their walls."

Posted: Dec 13 2006 01:52 pm

Sony ads used to be pretty good, but now they're really shitty. Anyone seen all of the PS3 ads. I don't want to buy a product that makes my Rubix Cube explode.

Posted: Dec 13 2006 02:02 pm

I think every company's had some bad ads... early Nintendo ads were pretty bad. Like the commercial for the Atari version of Mario Bros:

I'd like some wine with that cheese. And I'd like them to pronounce Mario correctly.

Sega's Game Gear ad with the kid hitting himself in the head with a dead squirrel so he could see his Gameboy in color was pretty bad too.

And pretty much every XBox ad ever has been terrible, for the systems I mean, not the games. In particular, their "It's Good To Play Together" campaign was lame.

Joined: Feb 24 2006 Posts: 2578

Syd Lexia wrote:

I think every company's had some bad ads... early Nintendo ads were pretty bad. Like the commercial for the Atari version of Mario Bros:

Oh, but I love that one so much! It's just so ludicrous! Very Happy

Posted: Dec 13 2006 02:16 pm

I do like how the Luigi actor moves around awkwardly, much like a video game character.

2010 SLF Tag Champ Joined: Jun 07 2006 Posts: 12294

http://on10.net/Blogs/laura/im-bringing-xbox-back/

top that. just try. I dare you.

Posted: Dec 13 2006 02:57 pm

My mother used to pronounce Mario with the long a instead of the foreign a. I used to try to correct her, but she wouldn't listen to me. Maybe she saw that commercial too many times... and come on... TV is always right.

Joined: Feb 24 2006 Posts: 2578

JEW wrote:

http://on10.net/Blogs/laura/im-bringing-xbox-back/

top that. just try. I dare you.

Wow, that's unbelievably obnoxious.

Posted: Dec 13 2006 03:07 pm

PS3, you cost more than an SUV.

2010 SLF Tag Champ Joined: Jun 07 2006 Posts: 12294

this game must ahve been a painb in the ass to play on the atari joystick.

Posted: Dec 13 2006 04:34 pm

My mom mispronounces Mario, but that's because she was used to talking to my ex-uncle Mario, who pronounced his name differently. That guy was a douche, anyway. Mad

Posted: Dec 13 2006 04:34 pm

(Page reload error)

Posted: Dec 13 2006 04:35 pm

There are Marios in Missouri?

Posted: Dec 13 2006 04:39 pm

All of my relatives, myself included, are Italians from the East Coast. New York and Pennsylvania, mostly.

Posted: Dec 13 2006 09:59 pm

MAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRY OH WHERE ARE YOU

Is it just me, or does it sound like they're saying, "Puertoricans in a bind" on that Mario Bros. commercial?

Joined: Nov 03 2006 Posts: 763

Source:

http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/games/archives/2006/12/11/new_sony_viral_marketing_ploy_angers_consumers.html

Quote:

New Sony viral marketing ploy angers consumers

By Aleks Krotoski / Business/ PlayStation/ controversy 11:51am

Gamers across Web 2.0 are shaking angry fists at the latest alleged viral marketing campaign orchestrated by Sony. Piggybacking the YouTube bonanza, the company has hired "consumer activation" firm Zipatoni to create a false video-and-blogging approach to generate interest in their flagging PlayStation Portable handheld machine. The video/blog/ads featured people portending to be authentic PSP fans creating messages of love/want for the console, but were quickly uncovered by SomethingAwful.com's dedicated base as superficial facades shielding mouthpieces for the corporation.

In the past, Sony's award-winning PlayStation brand ads were celebrated for their creativity and innovation. Their recent campaigns, including an ill-advised series of graffiti art, suggests that they are having difficulty getting a handle on the bottom-up, community driven opportunities made possible with social software.

As I (and others more qualified than I) have commented before (under a different guise), big business must tread carefully if it wishes to employ "yoof" tactics to generate interest in its brands. Blogs and other social software rely upon the trust of the reader, which is why links, references and disclaimers feature on many (not all) posts. Transparency is key in the modern advertising-savvy marketplace. Bad fakes can be spotted a mile away, and good fakes often get found out with a fanfare of negativity. As an aside, I'm very curious how the YouTube-viewing public will respond to lonelygirl_15 when she makes her first above-the-board debut.

Unfortunately this latest attempt to integrate with the MySpace generation on their own terms marks another instance in Sony's recent PSP campaigns which consumers claim is undermining their trust. The most important currency online is trust. rhino86, a SomethingAwful commenter, sums it up succinctly:

and today class we are going to learn about how viral marketing can fail miserably and create distrust and hatred in our user base.

Interactive advertising is so much more than throwing a few irritating pop us in front of content or putting placeholders in the latest software du jour. It needs to start from the community, perhaps - if needs must - sparked by a few good ideas.

Why can't they stick to bus stops covered in bubble wrap?

The blog in question was registered by a marketing company who claim to bloggers...

Even more hilarious, these attempts by the 'owners' to defend the site:

Quote:

Originally Posted by charlie
"we be just tryin to represent u guys... regular playas just tryin to get their gaem on, but now u gotta do all be dis then... u guys are noubs, pwnd!!"

and

Quote:

Originally Posted by cousinpete
You all is haters tymes 4. Dis is lee-git. Don't know why youse thinks this is a schill. Are site was registered through an external provider. We don't work for sony. And for all you dissin' my skillz I'm down for a one on one rap off or settling it street stylez if you feel me playa. Teh. I own a Nintendo DS and I love it. I would still like a PSP for shizzle. But the DS is just as solid.

Posted: Dec 14 2006 11:12 am

Yeaaaaaaahhh, boyeeeee, we about ta bring da pwnage up in heah! Yo, you all be trippin' n00bs, and we be PWNin' you HARSH, BRADA!!! WESTSIIIDE!!!

Da DS be mo than solid, though. Fo' shizzle!

Joined: Feb 24 2006 Posts: 2578

Now on the aforementioned alliwantforxmasisapsp.com site:

Quote:

Busted. Nailed. Snagged. As many of you have figured out (maybe our speech was a little too funky fresh???), Peter isn't a real hip-hop maven and this site was actually developed by Sony. Guess we were trying to be just a little too clever. From this point forward, we will just stick to making cool products, and use this site to give you nothing but the facts on the PSP.

Sony Computer Entertainment America

Not exactly an apology, per se. Rolling Eyes

"And we would've gotten away with it, too, if it wasn't for you meddling kids!"

2010 SLF Tag Champ Joined: Jun 07 2006 Posts: 12294

maven?