A Look Into Play B3yond

[Siraris]

We all know that advertising can make or break a product, but how many of us understand what goes into creating an ad-campaign? Sony is putting a lot of faith in the agency that has handled the Playstation since 1995 (TBWA) to sell people on the PlayStation 3. CNN Money has a look (http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2006/11/13/8393083/index.htm?section=money_latest) into what exactly Sony and TBWA are thinking.

Nobody understands that better than Rob Schwartz, who oversees the Los Angeles office's creative staff, a job he compares to managing the 1927 Yankees. He made sure TBWA pulled out all the stops last January when it met with Sony executives to discuss the PS3 campaign. TBWA rented out the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art for the occasion. Executives from TBWA and Sony spent the morning touring Ecstasy, an exhibition celebrating the sort of visions brought on by hallucinogenic drugs.

[Nonentity]

Executives from TBWA and Sony spent the morning touring Ecstasy, an exhibition celebrating the sort of visions brought on by hallucinogenic drugs.

That must have been where they got the idea for the baby and old lady commercials.

[Rook34]

I think their commercials all suck.

... Aaaand that's all I got.

[mkelehan]

Yeah, the PSP's ad campaign is pure crap. I'd fire them after that. Early PS2 ads were great (anyone remember, or know where I can download, the Signs commercial?), but since then, nothing good.

[Kelegacy]

I saw the baby commercial last night while I sat alone in my dark apartment and it freaked me out horribly.

Sometimes late night commercials will do that to me, with eerie sound or images, and I'm usually groping for my remote like a madman trying to change the channel.

[Siraris]

I think that it might have freaked people out, but it's doing the job they wanted. Everyone is talking about it. So yea, people may be freaked, but they are also thinking about PS3, which is what is important to these people.

Hell, I don't get it at all. I saw the ad and I was like "WTF?" Way to not convey anything to me.

[Tyrant]

I liked the original PSP commercials playing uh...that Playstation song, but once they went into squirrel and pube ball(don't tell me it ain't what it is) territory, things went downhill.

[Wyrm]

Their ads are terrible. They might be "trying something new" here, but it's not the good kind of new. The 360 commercials on the other hand, are winning awards all over the place. In the end, it wont much matter. They could just neglect to advertise it at all and it would still sell...

[Kelegacy]

I think that it might have freaked people out, but it's doing the job they wanted. Everyone is talking about it. So yea, people may be freaked, but they are also thinking about PS3, which is what is important to these people.

Hell, I don't get it at all. I saw the ad and I was like "WTF?" Way to not convey anything to me.
The freakish laughter, the crying, the way the doll is moving (dolls freak me out anyway), and empty room besides the baby and the PS3...that's enough to drive me mad.

I like being scared or freaked out, though no books, shows, or films have done it lately. Leave it to a goddamn commercial to do such a thing.

Last game to make me look over my shoulder was Missing, or In Memoriam as it is called in Europe, I think. Talk about messed up.

[JazGalaxy]

The playstation ad campaigns for the PSX were laughable. I mean... anybody remember the big polygonal purple head? Nobody even knew what that was supposed to BE.

"ENOS LIVES!"

Oh... THAT makes me want a PS...

[Kamalot]

TBWA rented out the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art for the occasion. Executives from TBWA and Sony spent the morning touring Ecstasy, an exhibition celebrating the sort of visions brought on by hallucinogenic drugs.
Anyone else think that these funds could have been better spent elsewhere? Anywhere?

[Rook34]

I saw the baby commercial last night while I sat alone in my dark apartment and it freaked me out horribly.

Sometimes late night commercials will do that to me, with eerie sound or images, and I'm usually groping like a madman.

Your quote is funnier this way, :P Heehee, no harm meant.

[Wonka]

Since this is a thread that will be visited by the Sony faithful, can anyone tell me if this is true or not?

http://www.newlaunches.com/archives/sony_playstation_3_further_details.php

Is it really true? Or is is some lame estimate based upon numbers printed onto pre-release power supplies?

*IF* true, then that would add a extra recurring yearly cost to PS3 ownership. One that could be large enough to offset the benefits of "free online". I find the claim a little hard to believe however. I mean, 380 watts? That's about double what the 360 uses. How is that even POSSIBLE for a console that is clocked so similarly to a 360 and has such similar hardware?

[Heretic Machine]

I have never seen a good commercial associated with gaming, ever.

[BlackPete]

Since this is a thread that will be visited by the Sony faithful, can anyone tell me if this is true or not?

http://www.newlaunches.com/archives/sony_playstation_3_further_details.php

Is it really true?

Having read that quote, I can confirm that the PS3 can indeed be a power hug. In fact, you might want to shelve the PS3 somewhere far away so that it can't get within grabbing distance. Its hug is damn strong -- you'd be better off playing with a boa constrictor.

[BlackPete]

I have never seen a good commercial associated with gaming, ever.

Oh, I don't know. I thought Sega had some pretty good advertisement. I also liked those live-action Bandicoot commercial with a sad-looking guy wearing the Crash suit.

I also liked this oldie Nintendo commercial (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jL0RYCKWR_8) .