We've covered Sony's big PSP advertising blunder a time or two before, but we've stayed
pretty close to the basic facts of the story: that Sony was promoting graffiti along with their PSP and that folks in
the afflicted neighborhoods were none too happy about it.Now, some new news comes from the Associated Press regarding how local governments feel about Sony's creative but questionable ad tactics.
"Philadelphia Managing Director Pedro
Ramos on Wednesday faxed a cease-and-desist letter to Sony Computer Entertainment's U.S. division in San Mateo,
California. 'My fines aren't going to scare Sony,' Ramos said. 'What will worry them is what the parents and their
users will think. This really flies in the face of everything we've been trying to do with our anti-blight
initiative.'
The article continues with a debate on whether the ads constitute graffiti or art. Either
way, the consensus seems to be that the ads were in bad taste, either in terms of being done in such a
"sneaky" way or in that they are an eye-sore.
Hopefully, the recent spat of fines and the bad press will close the book on this particular fiasco, making room for new Sony advertising gaffs in 2006.
