Fuss over Sony PSP ads in the UK

by Jennie Lees { Mar 8th 2006 at 7:00PM }

In the wake of Sony's graffiti-fuelled advertising campaign, the games giant has tried a fresh start, plastering public transport in the UK with enticing slogans. However, the slogans seem to have caused more trouble than necessary; an advert on a Manchester platform encouraging travellers to "take a running jump" has been deemed inappropriate and is due to be removed.

Elsewhere, in London, large Tube ads encouraging users to seemingly fill their PSPs with porn have caused some confusion. Could this be another attempt to whip up interest in Sony's advertising campaign, or are they simply a couple of misguided messages that looked better in the boardroom?

[Thanks, Dave]

Tags: advertisements, advertising, london, psp, sony, Sony ads, SonyAds, subway, tube, uk

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Jay @ Mar 8th 2006 7:08PM

I saw a couple of those ads. Especially that one in Manchester. Don't worry though, Sony are stupid. They'll try anything to get that PSP sold even if it means these sort of adverts. Oh well. the DS has got Channel 4 comedy sponsored. What's left? ITV soaps anyone?

Cpt Shanks @ Mar 8th 2006 7:10PM

What the hell does that ad mean?

mandarin @ Mar 8th 2006 7:15PM

Oy! Whats all this then?

RazorD @ Mar 8th 2006 7:16PM

Theres a WHOLE bunch of these ads all over bus stops where i am (Swindon, Wiltshire) - Some of them are really obviously, one in fact implicitally says the word 'sex', i cant remember what else though - ill look when i go past it tomorrow!

Kinda is a good advertising compaign though, for teenagers! Even if it is a big.. risque

Chris @ Mar 8th 2006 7:26PM

I live in London and have seen a few of these PSP ads. Most of them are really "blah" and don't elicit much excitement. Then again, I may be slightly biased and my opinion tainted after my severe disappointment after buying a PSP at launch! It's sad that my most anticipated title for PSP is a decades old title about copycat rodents with green hair :(

"White bits" huh? Oh wow, a female underwear reference. Big whoop. The most boring of the ad campaign is the "Movies playing here at 8.15 8.16 8.17 8.18. yourpsp." I just shrugged on the platform and went back to Mario Karting on the DS.

Mule Farmer @ Mar 8th 2006 7:30PM

White bits? a tampon? I dont get it.

CHRIS @ Mar 8th 2006 7:32PM

The sign is in reference to the parts of the body that doesnt get tan if you can grasp the meaning. It was used in a British short film. Personally I think that the PSP ads are meant to cater to a more mature crowd. Obviously it isnt really going after the kids. I dont see what the big deal is, I find them funny. Im surprised the UK is up in arms about this as Europe in general tend to be relatively cavalier about sexuality. Its usually the US thats got their undies in a bunch. Hence why we would probably never see them over here. People just need to lighten up. Geez

Keef @ Mar 8th 2006 7:33PM

heh i live in manchester and have seen loads of these everywhere, its probobly a bunch of old farts with nothing els better to do then to whine about stupid adverts lol

Jay @ Mar 8th 2006 7:36PM

It's like people who can afford a PSP, and who these adverts are targetted at don't already have images of their girlfriend on their mobile phones, pocket PC's, Palm, Blueberry etc... iPod.

The execution of these ads are piss poor. Blatantly imitating Selfridges current adverts too. the ones that use the same colours, same big bold font with the same brash "buy me, i wont change your life" style comments. actually Selfridges have an ad saying that. But they're at least classy, decent and expensive rather than just expensive.

Jay @ Mar 8th 2006 7:38PM

The H @ Mar 8th 2006 7:42PM

All this fuss over the psp...I cant help but think that the little handheld is getting a real bad rap lately. What with everyone complaining about the lack of (good) games, the controversial advertising, and the sudden drop in UMD sales. I really hope things start to look up for it soon, only because seeing one of sonys biggest products fall so quickly would be sort of anticlimactic. I was hoping for a more intense battle between Nintendo and Sony over the handheld market, but unless sony is ready to lose some serious money keeping its psp afloat, I am forced to think that it will just fade away in time. Don't get me wrong, i love my psp, but i love it only for homebrew, which means that, unless some seriously good software is released soon, i have no further interest in spending money on my psp. And I know it sounds like im just some bitter Nintendo fanboy, but i wouldnt have spent 250+ bucks on a psp if i wasnt expecting something a little more...well, fun.

Djstawberryjam @ Mar 8th 2006 8:03PM

Yer i've also seen these ads in town, one at my bus stop has the message "How did you get here" very confusing spose not "crude" like the others but very confusing , i've seen quite a few and they just seem to confuse me ;| not seen the one talked in the story but that does seem over the top to me.

Probot @ Mar 8th 2006 8:11PM

I don't think anyone is getting "up in arms" about the White Bits ad. The linked blog is just about the total bewilderment of the author upon seeing it for the first time.

The only ad causing any kind of controversy is the one in the subway station. It said "Take a Running Jump Here." For the context, that is innappropriate. Plus it contradicts every safety warning they have up, so they have every right to take it down.

DG10050 @ Mar 8th 2006 8:17PM

For those of you who don't know what this means, think of what rymes with bits and starts with a T.

KingBigos @ Mar 8th 2006 8:20PM

That ad makes no sense.

nick @ Mar 8th 2006 8:21PM

Eh, the PSP is so ... bleh. So strange the way Sony totally fucked it up.

Dave M. @ Mar 8th 2006 8:54PM

Guys, this is the best advertising campaign that any company could ever dream of. Pay very little money, and have the mainstream media do stories about how Sony is doing questionable ads for their PSP.

Sony pays very little, and they still get TV, Radio, and newspaper coverage.

darryl @ Mar 8th 2006 8:55PM

Eh, the DS is so... bleh. So strange the way Nintendo fans are so fucked up.

Jay @ Mar 8th 2006 9:06PM

The DS is so bleh? hmm.. you mean games and new input methods are bleh? so what isn't bleh? better graphics? you are sure going to be easy to please with future gaming :D
easy-pleased. nothing new. same old, new graphics. :) the 'bleh' gamer. "I don't care if its same! it's teh new!1"

Darrel @ Mar 8th 2006 9:06PM

Eh, the DS vs PSP debates are so..bleh. So strange the way both fanboys like to fuck each other up every chance they get.

striegs @ Mar 8th 2006 9:19PM

Wait wait wait, so they AREN'T talking about my girlfriend's beautiful smile?

nick @ Mar 8th 2006 9:19PM

I'm no Nintendo fan, though the company has given me some of my fondest gaming memories. The PSP is just disappointing. It was meant to be so much more.

So, yeah, bleh.

Lee @ Mar 8th 2006 9:49PM

do english girls have white nipples?

FelixFelicis @ Mar 8th 2006 10:18PM

Hmm, white bits...are white bits the parts that don't get a tan?
Oh, Sony, naughty naughty.

There's always a possibility that Sony made an ad that made absolutely no sense just to get press coverage.
Again, naughty naughty.

Alkaiser @ Mar 9th 2006 12:14AM

You ever sit and think that the people who create things like this ad and the PS2 plug one would have been locked up for being posessed back in the day or sent to a mental institution?

And then do you follow that up with thoughts of how we, as a society, really haven't come very far at all?

Or is it just me?

mwahaha @ Mar 9th 2006 12:32AM

wait, i thought the weather in britain was so blearly and depressing that no one ever got a tan....
(i'm just joking! geez, take a trip to the beach and relax in the sun!)

Jed Merrill @ Mar 9th 2006 1:54AM

More evidence of the decline of Sony. Is this really Sony's vision for the future?

Jed Merrill @ Mar 9th 2006 1:57AM

I wish I'd never bought a PSP.

nailerr @ Mar 9th 2006 2:58AM

These adverts are essentially working. Well.

Right now a lot of people are debating the point behind certain adverts, adverts by Sony for PSP. We are all talking about the Sony PSP. That's advertising!

Fan @ Mar 9th 2006 3:11AM

Whats with all the negative comments... This is an ad campaign and its really not that bad ffs.

Whats with all the hating between systems? Why is it not better that you have all systems sell well? Do you people not want gaming to be a popular and lucerative buisness? Or do you want every company that decides to invest in gaming to crash and burn?

Its a shame that the psp is not doing so well. I really wanted one when it launched but now im looking at a Lite instead, allthough the 8 gb psp is looking tempting.

Heres a tip for an article Joystiq. Find out how many people would rather have their least prefered console competitor go bankrupt(and damage the whole games industry in the process) than make a good profit and be popular with the mainstream.

You dont see movie buffs hating on dvd players from non prefered brands...

My english sux in the morning, please bring back spell checking.

ClarkyCat @ Mar 9th 2006 3:55AM

So people are offended by a semi suggestive comment, but it's all well and good when a DS ad makes it look like a girlfriend is jacking a guy off. And who says Ninty fans have double standards?

Ianc @ Mar 9th 2006 5:51AM

No 28 Cept that DS advert was played late at night, not at a Bus Station/Train/Tube Station.

I can fully understandwhy they covered they "take a running jump from here" one up. The number of times ive read on the Tube status board "delays due to person under the train" is quite depressing.

Jay @ Mar 9th 2006 6:13AM

The DS ads are on after the watershed. to be viewed by adults. if kids are watching TV then it becomes the parents fault for letting them stay up that late. These ads are viewable at anytime. The DS has adverts that are universal and adult based, that are frequently viewed and enjoyed.

See this is the age old debate; is there such thing as negative advertising? Well seemingly, in this case, yes. People here are appalled at Sony for crap ads. Therefore lowing the number of people who hold Sony in high regards. The name is out, but we don't like it. Losing mindshare, one of the most important factors to a gaming device in a competitive market.

doog @ Mar 9th 2006 6:35AM

I think this is a pond thing. Sure some of the ads are risque but its no big deal; there are plenty that are 'worse' that you see every day in the UK. Context, people, context. They are aimed slap bang at their target demographic, and they might not be the cleverest but I wouldn't say that Sony has dropped the ball here at all.

I must say to see the reaction on some US sites is very interesting. Your advertising must be boring as hell ;)

thomas_h @ Mar 9th 2006 9:11AM

concerning the psp's survival, i think it will be better games out in a few months, there is a tekken game coming which is perfect for on the go gaming, and katamari damacy psp just went gold, and there is another GTA game coming i think, in 3 days there is a new worms game coming out for it ( relax its 2d :D , syphon filter which i loved back in the days on PS1, and a Splinter Cell which looked pretty damn good last time i saw screens of it, GT4 + + + i almost want to buy a psp again, but i think i'll wait until the new version with 4GB flash mem is out... :D

check out this list.

http://psp.ign.com/index/release.html

Simian @ Mar 9th 2006 9:11AM

It's just clever marketing from Sony. Create a set of adverts that will annoy certain sections of middle England and eh voila, instant mass and local media coverage.

There are already stories about the "Take a running jump" ads appearing in the press. Well done Sony!

Wahaaj @ Mar 9th 2006 12:50PM

It must be to do with a psp camera hence the camera sign in the bottom corner. But I think that the ads are to do with things that you could take pictures of or todo with photoes. eg. Your gf's white bits here. i would think that means take pictures using the camera of your gf's white bits. And other stuff like "how did this get here" isnt that what you say when ure looking through your photos and you see one you dont remember taking.

Gonzo @ Mar 9th 2006 2:12PM

I can see why they'd have to take down the jumping one. They actually do have a problem in the tubes with people jumping/being pushed in front of trains.
But why take down the porn one. I think that's what most guys put on their memory stick before they insert it into their psp.
Damn... I gotta go download something sweaty.

Finished.Law.School @ Mar 9th 2006 3:23PM

Everything Sony does has been stupid lately. WTF? Are they intentionally committing suicide? Did Google or Microsoft hire away anyone worthwhile leaving nothing but stupid people or what?

Cpt Shanks @ Mar 9th 2006 6:08PM

You guys that say that the ads are working great are clearly not thinking right. Not all publicity is good publicity.

Thats like saying the Anti-Smoking ads are beneficial to the tobacco companies because they show their product.

x23 @ Mar 10th 2006 8:29AM

"I really wanted one when it launched but now im looking at a Lite instead, allthough the 8 gb psp is looking tempting."

er. the DS Lite is an actual real life device in existence on the actual earth in an actual physical form ready to be purchased.

the 8GB PSP is entirely ficticious.

and you are debating which to get? i tend to think reality trumps imagination in most my buying decisions. but i won't deny COMPLETELY MADE UP IMAGINARY THINGS are not "tempting"...

wtf.