PSP guerilla marketing tactics backfire
by Ed Stasick 
{ Dec 2nd 2005 at 10:30AM }
A couple of weeks ago when graffiti-style advertisements promoting the PSP began appearing simultaneously in cities such as New York, LA and San Francisco, the online fan community expressed its mild amusement with Sony's alleged campaign.
Yesterday, Gamespot filed an interesting report on how the brick-n-mortar communities that play "host" to the actual graffiti ads feel about them. It turns out that they're none too happy:
"Is anyone else concerned that Sony Playstation paid someone to vandalize our neighborhood to sell their latest toy," writes "Michelle," who claims to be a Lincoln Heights resident. "It's quite obviously an advertisement, but when I called Playstation Consumer Services this morning, they claim to know nothing about the campaign. I guess there's just some clever youngster out here in LH that just really LOVES the PSP and wants the whole world to know about it..."Much like the recent Sony CD rootkit fiasco, we're sure that this too is simply a well coordinated stunt by some attention seeking fanboys. Or not.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Scott Johnson @ Dec 2nd 2005 2:36PM
I hate it when people take a clever advertising campaign like this one and apply their smear tactics. The PSP eye candy on this site is really making me want to get out to the store to pick up a PSP, especially since the Xbox 360 is unobtainable at the moment. This ad campaign really ads to the "coolness" of what already seems like a great little device.
And besides, I'm sure Sony got permission for the graffiti.
scott @ Dec 4th 2005 8:47PM
Sony did *not* get permission for the graffiti. Grafitti is *illegal*. I know because my block got vandalized and I spoke with the owner of the property. This was not a clever advertising campaign. It was a thoughtless stunt that not only cost property owners to remove the grafitti but also added to the problems that these urban neighborhoods have to put up with...crime, drug use, additional vandalism, etc.
I hate it when ignorant fan boys are talking crap that they know nothing about...
http://www.secondaryscreening.net/static/archives/2005/11/index.html
Thon @ Dec 5th 2005 2:24PM
i live in ghetto lincoln heights and also graduated from lincoln high. close to chinatown and east los angeles. i havent came across this ads yet.
charles @ Dec 5th 2005 10:42PM
Actually, wired did a bit of investigation, and sony did get permission, and paid for the rights. Graffitti is illegal when it is done without permission. Done with permission, it is just another way of painting the building. So you might want to do a little more checking of your own...
charles @ Dec 5th 2005 11:06PM
Actually, wired did a bit of investigation, and sony did get permission, and paid for the rights. Graffitti is illegal when it is done without permission. Done with permission, it is just another way of painting the building. So you might want to do a little more checking of your own...
peter @ Dec 6th 2005 5:44AM
> Graffiti is *illegal* I know because my block got
> vandalized
This is such an ignorant comment.
First of all graffiti are NOT *illegal*. Its illegal to paint on other people property without permission. If I want to graffiti my car or house its perfectly legal for me to do it. But I can not graffiti my neighbor's car without his or her permission.
Second, graffiti has been used in advertisement for ages, its not that all surprising.
Third, when everything around us is being covered by all sort of advertisement, most of it tasteless and vulgar, that is not vandalizing our cities? At least in case of PSP there is some real paintings done by real people, rather then some generic posters printed in millions in some a sweatchop in China.
Finally, to say that graffiti poses the same danger to civil order as drugs and crime is plain stupid.
Anyway, I think its very cool as long as it has been done legally. Of course, there could always be copycats who do that on their own.
Matt Rix @ Dec 8th 2005 10:46AM
"At least in case of PSP there is some real paintings done by real people, rather then some generic posters printed in millions in some a sweatchop in China."
You don't consider design to be art? Most ads are much more thought out than most graffiti. Do you have any idea of the amount of skill and time that goes into making a single billboard?