The weirdest PS3 commercial you will ever see

by Blake Snow { Mar 5th 2007 at 2:57PM }

Mmmm. Where to begin. What you are about to see (if you haven't already) is one of the weirdest PS3 ~~trailers~~ commercials you will ever see. It features no screenshots, no image of the product its trying to sell, and ends up looking more like a promo for a new Quentin Tarantino film than anything else. It has it all: hookers, jock straps, a Baxter-like little dog, and exploding cash. Don't get us wrong; the creative side of our brains like the result (especially the music and mini suspense act), but there is no way in Hades this thing could help move PS3s in Europe (where the ad was made for).

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)

Bleh @ Mar 5th 2007 3:03PM

Is it me, or does the whole exploding suitcase remind you of what you are basically doing when you buy a ps3?

Oooh,oooh, flamebait. Fanboys, call the whaaambulance.

benjamin @ Mar 5th 2007 3:04PM

Baxter-like dog?

You'd think with their deep pockets Sony could have hired Wishbone. Now *there's* a dog you can set your clock to!

Anonim @ Mar 5th 2007 3:08PM

Blowing cash Sony style!

OR

Learn how to bankrupt company.

The Judge @ Mar 5th 2007 3:09PM

Thats a damn funny and cool commercial and I think that I may have figured it out a little bit. They seem to be taking jabs at the other two systems. The old man swinging a stick (Wii Wii) and then there's the soccer player juggling the grenade (X-Cock 360). The rest of the people I don't really get yet but those two I think I'm spot on. The briefcase blowing up is the money you'd waste on the other two system. Thats just my observation.

Mr.Wednesday @ Mar 5th 2007 3:10PM

Yeah... I actually like it! But like you said, it wont help to sell it here in Europe...

I live in Sweden and everyone I talk to say the same thing: "I wanted to buy a PS3, until I found out it costs 7000:- (around 980 USD)... If it wasnt for the internet, I would have no idea of how the graphics are! The launch is a few weeks away and I havent seen ONE SINGLE ad for the PS3... And if they are showing this, then I am sure that no one will care...

People will just have a heart-attack when walking next to the store... "7000:-?!??!?!?!?! Gimme a Xbox360 (around 4000:- or 560 USD) or a Nintendo Wii (2500:- or 315 USD)!!!"

The worst thing is that stores where I live (at least 2 of them) have PS3´s but you cant play them... You have to preorder the PS3... When you fill a preorder, you can play for 15Min... Ridiculous... But thats not Sony´s fault... But they couldve at least let the thing on...

DefHamsterJam @ Mar 5th 2007 3:10PM

That was stupid.

Youquin @ Mar 5th 2007 3:14PM

what do you american know about europeans, we actually like weired adverts. most advert on UK TV are extraordinary- infact we thought the americans PS3 ads were cool.

one thing we have learnt from you american is that you complain too much, and are cheap. infact you like everything cheap, but whos paying for the £425 PS3? Europeans and even though the price is high we can't be bothered to complain cause we're use to high priced electronics..... oooh and our living standards is higher than yours.

Youquin @ Mar 5th 2007 3:22PM

Not surprising Americans don't like to think in order to exercise their mind, it’s like your entire population is educated on Google.

csc @ Mar 5th 2007 3:23PM

As a european fond of abstract adverts, i wanted this to work.

After seeing the american ones and then the abysmal cup stacking fiasco i thought it couldnt get worse.

This advert tries and fails, its either the pace or something, it was abstract enough, but not in the right way, wasnt funny or interesting.

No sale

Rubang B @ Mar 5th 2007 3:25PM

By all means good sir, blow all your money on your expensive tastes. I too have expensive tastes and have already spent more money on my Wii than a 60GB PS3 costs.

I also think this is the best PS3 commercial so far, because they finally gave up and just went nuts with it. It looks like it was fun to make.

deaftly @ Mar 5th 2007 3:25PM

that commercial makes alot of sense for the ps3, it blows up your wallet, nothing makes sense about it, and it sucks in general, good commercial

Pikachelsea @ Mar 5th 2007 3:27PM

Haha, that was one of the stupidest things I've ever seen. Sony's PR has hit rock bottom, yet somehow they manage to just keep on digging. wtg Sony.

"Europeans and even though the price is high we can't be bothered to complain cause we're use to high priced electronics..... oooh and our living standards is higher than yours."

You self-important douche. Way to buy into Sony's dumptruck of BS about how buying an insanely overpriced product somehow transports you directly to a more refined upper echelon of society. Nice to see that you're so complacent about being bent over the hood by Sony's prices rather than being discerning consumers or anything.

Oh, and nice work on that failure of a stereotype you just tried to apply to the entire American population. Yeah, we must all be below you because we don't want to blow our paychecks on every worthless turd Sony pinches off. DIAF plzthx.

Rubang B @ Mar 5th 2007 3:27PM

@Youquin, chill out. Making generalizations about the population of an entire country and the population of an entire continent makes you dumb. When you say "us Europeans" are you including those chunks of Russia and Turkey that are in Europe?

Mr.Wednesday @ Mar 5th 2007 3:28PM

@Youquin,

Speak for yourself or for the UK... I didn't like any of the ads and I think its an outrage to pay 900+USD for the PS3... Sure, the living standards are higher and electronics are higher priced than in the US but that doenst mean we all accept when a company is ripping us off with something that its suposed to be a Video-game...

Martez @ Mar 5th 2007 3:31PM

Well, they get an A for effort. I wish I was a fly on the wall of the meeting room where this ad was dreamed up.

Rubang B @ Mar 5th 2007 3:32PM

I hope somebody either got fired or got a HUGE promotion for this commercial.

Digi Smalls @ Mar 5th 2007 3:36PM

a perfect visualization of Sony's hubris.

.

Farseer @ Mar 5th 2007 3:37PM

@7 (Youquin)

Normally I don't feed the trolls, but as an American, I can't help it.

You're wrong on so many levels that I don't know where to start, but I think the biggest issue is that you think we all like things cheap. Sure, affordability is a nice motivator, but most of us who have a decent education realize that there is a correlation between cost and quality. In almost every circumstance, the more expensive product will be of a higher quality. The only time this doesn't hold true is when the higher cost item delivers no obvious advantages. That is the issue many of us have with the PS3, and it will remain that way until the Sony corporation proves that the extra money is worth it to the average consumer. At this point, they have not done so, and it is obvious because the consoles still sit on shelves.

BTW, if your standard of living is so much higher, and you are used to higher priced electronics, I would suggest using the ones you have. Specifically a spell-checker (it's included in the latest version of FireFox - and that's free!). Also, have some tact when insulting millions of people - if English isn't your first language, you should learn how to use it before insulting us. Your butchered, broken English makes your appear childish.

Hendrixx @ Mar 5th 2007 3:37PM

I thought it was an ad for LivingTV... so did the rest of the cinema.

NintendoFanbot @ Mar 5th 2007 3:39PM

About 3/5ths of the way into it you can see a Lara Croft who's fallen HARD.

But TR Legend was good and Anniversary might.

Farseer @ Mar 5th 2007 3:39PM

...makes *you* appear childish. (My mistake)

2bit2quit @ Mar 5th 2007 3:41PM

Buying a PS3 = Blowing up money

Well that wasn't so abstract, you crazy Euroturd!

miles foreman @ Mar 5th 2007 3:41PM

Hey I heard this was the place for elitist douchebaggery! I even brought my monocle!

CJM @ Mar 5th 2007 3:43PM

That ad made a decent attempt at grabbing attention through weirdness-for-weirdness's sake, but it's not even close to being up there with the notorious "Mental Wealth" commerical for the PS1.

Dan @ Mar 5th 2007 3:43PM

Honestly, it looks like it could have a been a decent dark comedy. Too bad it's just an ad.

sheppy @ Mar 5th 2007 3:48PM

I know they are bullshit hypefests, but I personally feel these are the best produced hype videos.

http://www.playb3yond.com/

Larry @ Mar 5th 2007 3:55PM

Once again Sony PROVES ...

Cocaine is a helluva drug.

IslandLife @ Mar 5th 2007 3:56PM

Now that was a great commercial.

For everyone complaining about it, maybe you should look up Pop Art & Dada. Not everything has to be literal and boring.

ric @ Mar 5th 2007 3:56PM

huy,huy, Yeahhhhh i know you americans hate japanese good quality competition you keep calling the PS3 a bad console with every comment you make against it,be real people and dont be loosers.....

Jake @ Mar 5th 2007 3:59PM

Youquin,

You're an ass. America is a great place to live. It may not be the best, but it is pretty damn good, imo. I was born with very little and now me and my beautiful fiance make 50k/year each out of college. Have everything I need and am quite happy with it.

And as far as having expensive tastes and the other bs you spouted about Europe. You talk like having to pay more for electronics somehow makes you better. lol all the way to the bank on that one.

European elitists like you are so damn annoying.

Erick @ Mar 5th 2007 4:01PM

Seems to me like they're hinting at the whole "HOME" network stuff that you guys reported on last week. "This is living" shows how people with different personalities play different games.

Also they have different homes within the same villa / network. The grenade thing seems like a common achievement (i.e. everybody with a PS3 has resistance).

FSK405K @ Mar 5th 2007 4:02PM

Great music in the background. It's an orchestral version of Isaac Albeniz's classic guitar composition, Asturias.

Dolla Dolla @ Mar 5th 2007 4:05PM

@sheppy

The Play Beyond commercials with the voice overs are the best PS3 ads on the whole damn planet. I don't understand why they aren't using them EVERYWHERE. They are concise, uplifting, and positive. These other ads ... no comment. They speak for themselves.

Rubang B @ Mar 5th 2007 4:07PM

@IslandLife, it is a commercial that doesn't even mention the product or hint at it in any way. Whether it holds any artistic merit or not doesn't help it move the product. I like the commercial, but I'm not going to empty out my wallet any time soon.

Michael @ Mar 5th 2007 4:07PM

that made no since...what so ever....lol..Even if I did know or want to know whats going on. I still wouldn't feel the need to say I need a PS3 that bad. Not bashing the system, but I just do nott see the urge to buy one after watching that.

cringer8 @ Mar 5th 2007 4:08PM

To anyone thinking this commercial takes "thought" or that it is "artful":

Get your head out of your ass. It's a commercial. It's not funny, smart, "cool", or informative. So what *is* it? Mindless. A mindless commercial meant for mindless people who believe more expensive automatically equals "better."

The gameplay footage SONY has is nothing to write home about (especially if you've already played the Xbox 360). They have *nothing* to advertise, so they advertise nothing. Brilliant.

Eric @ Mar 5th 2007 4:09PM

Penis and Boobies? I'll buy a PS3!!

*unfortunately for sony he dies in a car accident three minutes after saying that*

:-P

BIG Reub @ Mar 5th 2007 4:12PM

Well...artistically this commercial is pretty good. I would use it at the opening of a key note speech, or something to that affect. But just for advertising purposes I took my a while to figure out that they were all representations of video game characters (L.C., Snake, etc.)Nothing about this make me want to buy a ps3.

NeverSage @ Mar 5th 2007 4:14PM

I was prepped to hate that commercial before I watched it. But I didn't hate it. It was cool imo. I guess this is what Sony marketing was going for the whole time, and finally got it right.

And any European who visits joystiq, I won't judge you based on Youquin. Even though he tried very hard to make his whole continent look snobbish and ignorant.

Aex @ Mar 5th 2007 4:14PM

It wasnt a good commercial in the sense of selling anything... It was entertaining tho! I liked it.

steve17 @ Mar 5th 2007 4:19PM

@Youquin

wow. what kinds of stupid insults where those?

because your overall living standard is higher makes u better than us?

i would have tried not to stoop to your level but i hate american haters ALOT!

wanna explain how your country is so much better other than u pride urself on high prices?

o yeah. and while you like to diss america: why dont u goddamn limies come and kick our asses over in america. o yeah. thats right. when u cam over here u guys got owned by a smaller unorganized bunch of AMERICANS. lol. your country isnt in its same former glory of your opressive empire of yesteryear.

so maby shut ur mouth and learn some proper ENGLISH before making generalizing insults about a country that could kick your scrawny ass anyday.

steve17 @ Mar 5th 2007 4:23PM

im sorry. that wasnt very nice of me. that wasnt meant to include british in general. i just get pissed by people like youquin. so im sorry otherwise.

anyway................. that commercial was entertaining. but #1 beat me to what i wanted to say. LOL

steve17 @ Mar 5th 2007 4:24PM

steve17 @ Mar 5th 2007 4:25PM

WHAT THE FUCK? wow guys. sorry. i have no idea how it posted the same thing 3 times. LOL i hope it doesnt happen to this one.

Rubang B @ Mar 5th 2007 4:29PM

@steve17, you're even dumber than Youquin. Not only did you stoop to his level of generalizing entire countries but then you added the "dude we'll kick your ass we're tough dog yo" flavor to the "debate." Thanks for making everybody here a little dumber. You also stooped to his level of spelling and grammar, and you're from the U.S., so you have no excuse.

Back on topic, this commercial was better than cup stacking, but not better than showing off neat video games that I might like to play.

Farseer @ Mar 5th 2007 4:29PM

steve17,

As much as I appreciate your addition to the ADF (America Defense Force) retaliation against Youquin, please don't tell someone to learn proper English in a post where you do not use proper English yourself. You'll only give a troll like Youquin more ammo.

I also agree with NeverSage - most Europeans I've met are kind and open-minded, just as most Americans I've met are the same way. There's just a fringe that hide behind their keyboards and pseudonyms promoting hate. I for one won't judge anyone until they prove that they are angry, vindictive, or mean spirited. These people exist in all cultures, but there is no one culture that consists entirely of these people.

/deposits two cents

Geo @ Mar 5th 2007 4:32PM

Ha,ha,ha,ha, # 8 youquin you are funny......

Youquin @ Mar 5th 2007 4:32PM

ok, I’m going to be adult and apologise for offending the millions of Americans everywhere; I think I should have explained myself without generalising an entire population. Fair... my bad.

It remains that with this ad Sony doesn't just want to create an advert that caters for just gamers- this is a new product and the first of the playstation family targeting gamers and non-gamers alike, they have to produce something radically different to get some attention. When you analyse the ad you get to understand that Sony is attempting to sell the idea of what PlayStation represent, the lifestyle.

Not a great ad but it has grasped our attention already……..we are all here talking about it.

BPM @ Mar 5th 2007 4:39PM

Might I say...
What in God's name was that?! Does Sony even know HOW to advertise a GAME CONSOLE anymore?

@sheppy
They're not bad, but not great, either. And, personally, I HATE the "Smarter" commercial due to the line and the end:
"With this much brainpower, is the Cell Broadband Engine even smarter than you?"
As someone who has studied AI, I can tell you this: no. Not a chance. :P
Yeah, Cell can do a lot of tasks quickly, but it still only does what we tell it to. A machine will never be smarter than a human, no matter how fast it can "think," until it can "think" for itself.

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