'This is Living' toilet girl helps flush PAL PS3 sales
by Alexander Sliwinski 
{ Mar 24th 2007 at 8:00PM }
Previously we said that we've completely given up trying to explain the European PS3 ads and marketing campaign. Somehow the "This is Living" campaign, with its cup-stacking, bike tricks and quirky characters was supposed to move PS3 unit in Europe. Given the tepid response in Europe and Australia -- we're going to go with it didn't work. Spinning things even further into general awkwardness was Microsoft unleashing a PR blitz on European gaming sites. Can you think of a better way to show those Euro game journalists the cost difference between the PS3 and Xbox 360 than by sending the monetary difference in beer? Sorry to say, but it's time for Sony to find a new advertising agency in Europe, because what the girl does at the end of the commerical above is exactly what that company did with Sony's money.
Find some more ads that were supposed to appeal to Europeans after the break. Be warned, they are NSFS (not safe for sales).
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
KC @ Mar 24th 2007 8:09PM
L, O, and L.
Worst ads EVER.
Why cant they simply SHOW the freakin games? Is that so bad? I recently saw a WalMart ad for MotorStorm on TV, it showed more gameplay than even the real MotorStorm ad.
Who the hell comes up with ads that dotn show the product anyway? Does it even work? I personally like to see what the ads for, not some goffy crap before it.
apoc06 @ Mar 24th 2007 8:16PM
no one in america likes these ads. they aren't even american ads. maybe europe doesnt either, but why have there been like 15/ 20 blogs on joystiq about them? no one likes the ads, can we please stop seeing them?
no disrespect to the site or the author, but is this seriously newsworthy? each sony ad gets a post trying to dissect it. no one cares, thats the point the article was trying to make right? using a post about ads just to make another stab at sony [specifically their sub-par PR] is beyond redundant.
In your face fanboy @ Mar 24th 2007 8:43PM
Damn toilet girl is one fine piece of freshly wiped ass. Nice ads Sony. Way to make sense. Kinda speaks metaphorically about your console. Your commericals don't make sense and either does your all-in-one hub (PS3). In other words, who are you trying to market to??
junkie @ Mar 24th 2007 8:23PM
i think it's interesting to see how miserably the 360's marketing in Japan was, and the PS3's in Europe. Guess you can't get it right everywhere.
Slaziman @ Mar 24th 2007 8:23PM
actually it's really funny to watch these ads and go WTF?!?!?!?! keep on posting them joystiq
Henry @ Mar 24th 2007 8:24PM
Nintendo got it right: (in europe anyway)
1. Show the games
2. Show someone enjoying the games
3. Finish with some sexy shots of the console
Done. (and probably with at least half the budget Sony used)
boo @ Mar 24th 2007 8:35PM
Sony's eurocampaign is as bad as Microsoft's japanese campaign (toilet girl vs GO GO GO GO or whatever the hell that MS crap campaign was). Both horrid.
Joop @ Mar 24th 2007 8:35PM
@2
Yes, the continuing bat shit insanity that is Sony's marketing strategy is newsworthy.
Jack the Ripper @ Mar 24th 2007 8:43PM
Was their marketing that much better in America? A freaky, crying baby doll, crows bursting from broken eggs, satanic hovering everywhere, and more jump cuts than Saw II and III combined.
Dolla Dolla @ Mar 24th 2007 8:45PM
So. Sony took a leave out of the 360 Japan Marketing book for the European launch, eh?
Seriously, I don't know what they are thinking when they do these things. It's as if they are completely out of touch with their target audience.
ill trooper @ Mar 24th 2007 9:18PM
Keep posting about this every single day.
Shadow @ Mar 24th 2007 10:47PM
1)I hate to bring up the argument as I'm sure we've all heard it enough, but this is a BLOG and not a NEWS site. I fail to see "CNN Games" anywhere.
2)Sony is its own bad news. Just because they keep doing stupid stuff doesn't mean you should get upset when a gaming blog reports on it. It's not the blog's fault that Sony can't keep their stuff together.
3)These commercials are chalk full of metaphors. You would think Sony would be smart enough to catch them.
Chris Putnam @ Mar 24th 2007 8:52PM
"Sorry to say, but it's time for Sony to find a new advertising agency in Europe"
In Europe? They're in desperate need of a new advertising strategy all over the world. The awfulness of PlayStation ads has been legendary since the days of the PSX - this European crap is just a few steps worse than usual. No one involved with planning or approving Sony's advertising should be allowed anywhere near a job in the industry.
Sorry to reiterate what others have been saying, but jesus, Sony, it's not that hard. Stop this abstract crap. Stop trying to make short films with wacky characters and bad jokes. Stop with the horribly unfunny animated rats. Stop with the mind-bogglingly terrible fake viral marketing. Just show the games. Just show the games! JUST SHOW THE GAMES.
And @2:
I want Joystiq and other sites to keep posting this stuff. I want people to see just how bad these ad campaigns are. I want representatives from Sony to read this and realize that their utterly, brain-explodingly bad marketing is probably at least 50% responsible for the unimpressive sales performance of the PS3 and the PSP. And I want them to slap themselves and finally do something about it.
So please, Joystiq, keep it up. For their sake and ours, don't let them off the hook.
Sam @ Mar 24th 2007 8:56PM
I think the Japanese belive they're the only ones who can come up with a good console, which is why they dont buy 360s. If they invest some $$ in one, they'll realize how superior it is to all other consoles... especially the PS3.
I got a Wii for Zelda, then got so bored after beating it that there was nothing else to do but surf the web, which I have a omputer for, and the lame "vote" thing... Where's Smash Bros. Melee?!
Then I got a 360 and haven't been more relieved since. So many great games and "free" demos to download and try before u "buy" and "free" online play with the silver membership. XBOX 360 LUVS U!
AssemblyLineHuman @ Mar 24th 2007 8:56PM
Chris Putnam: "...their utterly, brain-explodingly bad marketing is probably at least 50% responsible for the unimpressive sales performance of the PS3..."
I doubt that. I think "five-hundred ninety-nine US dollars" has much more to do with it than anything else.
AssemblyLineHuman @ Mar 24th 2007 8:58PM
Sam: From what I understand, most people in Japan don't even know what an Xbox is.
Non-biter @ Mar 24th 2007 9:02PM
If they're expecting PS2 gamers to eventually jump ship to the PS3, then why not show the follow up to the current games that PS2 fans have already been introduced to and leave it at that. Keep it simple.
Metalmurphy @ Mar 24th 2007 9:10PM
Wtf do you guys know about advertising? Hey if its got you talking about it, it already worked...
Heliophage @ Mar 24th 2007 9:19PM
I was werided out by that crying baby ad, but after some time, I started feeling disappointed if I was out of the room and heard it on, but didn't get to see it.
I don't want a PS3, but the ads worked at least on some level it seems.
sheppy @ Mar 24th 2007 9:21PM
I really have to say this. I know I'll be bashed, but the third one? Kovac? FUCKING GOLD!
As a PS3 ad, it sucks. As a hilarious and twisted monologue, it rocks. Seriously, allow me to transcribe it here...
"What.. is.. living?
Is it working like a robot, until you become obsolete? Watching so much television news you're too terrified to go out and buy the bar of chocolate you need to make yourself feel safe.
Is that really what you're here for?
Maybe gods plan was for you to sit in a meeting room for 65 long years.. striving for mediocrity..
CONGRATULATIONS, you've been named employee of the month!
Do you want pride with that?
One man's living.. is another man's dying..
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go and buy myself a bar of chocolate...
*pulls out gun, cue Joker laugh*"
It's genuis! I laughed my ass off watching that one.
Kamizar @ Mar 24th 2007 9:31PM
@16
Even if it's got us talking about it, it still doesn't enforce the want to buy it, for it to be a good add it has to attract the customer, not push them away, like the old PS2 "PS9 add" it was probably one of the most well constructed adds I'd ever seen, because not only did it remind the customer of the product but it also placed a double want standard, as if buy the PS2 would help create the PS9 and how the PS2 was already great, not a great add for adults but certainly a great add for children and teens...
This on the other hand makes you go what and leaves the consumer confused about what its trying to sell, and confusion is never a good thing when you're trying to sell something cause it makes people frustrated...
Ang @ Mar 24th 2007 9:44PM
Any person that understand marketing knows this advertising campaign is designed to create emotions in people, doesn't matter which emotions, (here there obviously is alot of hatred and frustration).
The fact that alot of pople are speaking about this advertising campaign (good or bad) means it's done it's job perfectly.
People will be remembering this for years to come.
I think they have done a great job, can't wait to see the next one.
- mediocrity 1. ordinariness as a consequence of being average and not outstanding [syn: averageness]
jason @ Mar 24th 2007 9:57PM
to say the response was tepid is crap. Remember a lot of stores cancelled the midnight launch? since joystiq "reported" them. I want to see final sales figures.
Richard @ Mar 24th 2007 10:20PM
sure it makes me talk about it.
but it doesn't make me talk about the ps3 or anything about the ps3.
in fact it makes me think of the tag line 'this is living'
which I then think 'who the hell cares, i want a gaming console'
which is followed by (me being in Australia) 'this is expensive'
and lastly 'this is waiting.'
Joshua @ Mar 24th 2007 10:20PM
Really bad commercials, but the last one was kind of funny.
idioteraser @ Mar 25th 2007 6:44AM
The only reason people will be talking about these ads years to come is they will be on everyone's advertising mistakes top ten list. It will be on gaming don't lists for years to come. Every list that makes something look bad will have the PS3 advertising on it.
Hell the wii ads were incredibly effective in all regions. Japan had very simple ones and even a thankyou commerical for them buying 1.5 million wiis.
American wii commericals showed nongamers having fun and the two Japanese guys were also quite effective.
The European wii ads are also said to have been quite effective.
LaughingTarget @ Mar 24th 2007 10:39PM
Its not getting the right people to talk. I'm willing to bet good money the average European consumer gets confused by this, wonders what exactly the PS3 is. Is it a game console or is it some fat guy in a thong talking nonsense in a mirror?
The "any publicity is good publicity" cliche was invented by an advertising agency when they were trying to explain to a client why the marketing campaign they came up with backfired.
Guess what? Not all publicity is good. I know it is an extreme example, but a fast food company by the name of Jack in the Box had a huge e-coli outbreak in the early 90s. Huge publicity. Bad publicity. Know what happened? They suffered big time. Took a while to recover, too. Yes, people were talking. People who never heard about Jack in the Box. Didn't make them want to buy the product.
Marketing is not just getting your name out in the public. It is getting your name out in the public with the RIGHT image. The image has to be positive and it has to properly show what the product or service is.
Yes, the most effective marketing campaigns are quirky or funny, but they do show what they're trying to sell. The average consumer has no idea what is going on above. It isn't catchy, it doesn't keep your attention. It is a guy with a bad Russian accent in a bathtub yakking away. The typical person only has a 10 second attention span. These ads wait until the very end to tell is what they're selling. This means the typical consumer will have zoned out by that point.
Maybe it is good for Sony. No one knows what the ad is for. Not like the American ones where the PS3 is shown right from the start and get stupid. Sony would be just as well off not running those ads at all. Same effect and they'd save the money.
Matt Wagner @ Mar 24th 2007 10:55PM
21 pretty much nailed it. its just bare-bones marketing designed to excite conversation, and joystiq is adding fuel to the fire. think about it. what is the one thing sony wants? for people to talk about the PS3. even just saying "sony" and "PS3" while talking about the ads works. its playing on the subconcious. you don't think you are being sold anything with these ads, but you are being sold exactly what they want to sell you, their name and their brand.
i love these ads, especially the cup-stacking ad. cup-stacking is really awesome and its a pretty good metaphor for the cell processor (it does what few people can faster then they can).
you see this kind of advertising all the time. godaddy.com, that new besquare.com or whatever it is. product doesn't matter anymore people, it's all about a name. they want you to go out and find out more about it on your own time. they aren't going to map it out there for you. its to complex for that.
Chris Putnam @ Mar 24th 2007 11:01PM
--"Any person that understand marketing knows this advertising campaign is designed to create emotions in people, doesn't matter which emotions, (here there obviously is alot of hatred and frustration).
The fact that alot of pople are speaking about this advertising campaign (good or bad) means it's done it's job perfectly."--
This just isn't the case. The adage "there's no such thing as bad publicity" is crap. A gross, offensive, or just plain terrible commercial is akin to running a store where you kick your customers in the crotch as they walk through the door. Sure, you can argue "It'll make them remember us!" but is it the kind of memory you want them to have of you?
Yes, part of advertising is raising awareness of your product (although I don't think these commercials do a very good job of that either, considering they have nothing to do with the PS3), but the other, more important part is instilling good feelings about your product in people. Do you think the whole PSP viral marketing fiasco did them a lot of good? Ads like that, and this, turn off 90% of potential customers even as they plant the product in their minds. A bad ad can frighten off even people who were interested in your product before - don't doubt this for a second.
There's a perception in the games industry, created by Sony itself in the PS1 era, that games aren't "cool" enough to sell themselves - that you have to show as little of the game as humanly possible in a commercial. Any intelligent gamer, I think, can tell why this is sheer stupidity. Games aren't a new deodorant or a clothing line. You're not selling an image when you sell games, you're selling a product that stands entirely on its own.
Do you watch TV spots for movies? Can you imagine if every TV spot for every movie tried to build up its own funny campaign around the film - maybe a wacky talking chihuahua tells a talking cat about "Letters From Iwo Jima," or a boxing-gloves-wearing Santa Claus bursts into a house to sell "Rocky Balboa" - and then showed 2 seconds of fast-forwarded scenes from the film at the end? That's exactly what game advertising does, and it's no less ridiculous here.
It's insulting to us, it keeps the industry from being taken seriously, and, while I'm sure it helps sales, it isn't half as effective as straightforward, quality advertising that just -shows the game- would be. It's got to stop.
Zeromaru @ Mar 24th 2007 11:11PM
These... "ads"... are giving me a headache.
Which brings up a very metaphysical question. Is an advertisement still an advertisement when it doesn't advertise anything? That's something to ponder.
J.Goodwin @ Mar 25th 2007 8:22AM
Posting these bad ad campaigns just accomplishes the entire concept behind the ad campaign. Get people asking WTF? and create a viral tidal wave of interest.
I say deep six them, and just ignore Sony's BS.
Ang @ Mar 24th 2007 11:13PM
The Random House Handbook of Business Terms (Nisberg, 1988) defines publicity as "information designed to appear in any medium of communication for the purpose of keeping the name of a person or company before the public or of creating public interest in their activities" (p. 229).
Which they have done prefectly.
You might not like the campaign (a series of ads which haven't finished by the way).
Don't know about most people on this blog, but my attention span is definitlely more than 10 seconds, so maybe I am searching for more than mediocrity.
Defenestrator2.0 @ Mar 25th 2007 12:05AM
I hate to say this, but I actually agree with sheppy. I liked the Kovac commercial. It actually had a deeper meaning to it than what immediately met the eye. A good monologue. However, as a commercial for a game system, it sucked hard.
evilplushie @ Mar 24th 2007 11:47PM
As someone who's studied marketing before, this ad fails. It does get people to talk, true, but it fails to get people to mentally position the PS3 as the brand they want to get in this current gen. Unless exploding babies or suitcases of money that blow somehow make people want to buy a ps3.
Poo Jangles @ Mar 25th 2007 12:16AM
Yeah, giving this crap more attention isn't exactly the most intelligent way of countering its lameness. The whole point of advertising is to bring attention to a product, and the act of pointing out how lame it is brings more attention to it -- thereby making it GOOD advertising.
ceark @ Mar 25th 2007 11:10AM
I think for the difference in prices, they should of sent the soon to be obsolete hd-dvd add on, or maybe a couple years of xbox live subscription. The PS3 isn't more expensive then the xbox, they just don't try to hide the price by pelting you extra costs and microtransactions everywhere else. It's a full package.
ceark @ Mar 25th 2007 11:10AM
but yeah those adds do suck.
Matt Wagner @ Mar 25th 2007 1:12AM
i like how people throw out the argument that "not all press is good press" and then supply completely arbitrary reasons for it.
i'm not arguing the fact. of course. if some product gives people e. coli, then of course there name isn't going to suffer.
but that has nothing to do with the PS3. it isn't like the PS3 is using mind-control to make adolescents kill their parents or spreading ebola from its fan ducts.
what are we doing right now? talking about an ad.
what is the ad for? PS3
who wins? sony wins (maybe not in the long run, but in the marketing department for now at least).
Noxat @ Mar 25th 2007 1:25AM
Sony has always had bizarre commercials but this is just a bunch of nonsense tossed together with a Playstation 3 logo at the end.
samfish @ Mar 25th 2007 2:00AM
"what are we doing right now? talking about an ad.
what is the ad for? PS3
who wins? sony wins (maybe not in the long run, but in the marketing department for now at least)."
Yeah, we're talking about the ad...and how fucking stupid it (and, by extension, the PS3) is.
Getting people to talk about how awful the PS3 and/or it's adverts are isn't exactly going to encourage already stagnant sales.
...Especially when we're talking about $600+ awful. People might be encouraged to go and see a controversial movie in cases like that, but most people aren't going to drop $600+ bucks on a piece of electronics just to see if it's as lousy as everyone seems to think it is.
I know a lot of people think it's gospel, but the notion of 'any press is good press' only goes so far.
Hellsing @ Mar 25th 2007 2:37AM
Anyone else feel like killing themselves after that last ad? That sure is a great message to send to potential customers.
reppy @ Mar 25th 2007 2:41AM
Nintendo might be out of sync with the "hardcore gamer", but at least their commercials contain GAME PLAY FOOTAGE. Watching these Sony commercials makes me think I just walked into some international film festival or something. I was half expecting to see gay cowboys eating pudding.
Dolla Dolla @ Mar 25th 2007 2:49AM
Wait ...
There are people defending this ad?
... well, I guess Sony did do something right.
staxontoplyon23 @ Mar 25th 2007 4:07AM
Wasn't it SCEE(urope)'s own CEO who came up with this gem? "We have built up a certain brand equity over time since the launch of PlayStation in 1995 and PS2 in 2000 that the first five million are going to buy it, whatever it is, even [if] it didn't have games," See? It doesn't even need games, let alone a coherent message, Sony's equity will sell the first 5 mil which gives them months to wax poetic about life and show us hot girls taking a dump. In the next campaign they will feel so confident of PS3's dominance in Europe that they can waste the advertising time by rating the superhunks.
ManekiNeko @ Mar 25th 2007 5:19AM
What the hell was that? What did that have to do with anything in the known universe? The US Playstation ads reflect Sony's arrogance (ooh, the PS3 can crumple trucks and float off the ground!) but that tells me nothing about anything. I feel like I've wasted not only thirty seconds of my life watching that, but the next three weeks of it trying to figure out what the hell that commercial was trying to say.
JR
Rubang B @ Mar 25th 2007 5:31AM
Remember those Wii commercials? They showed people playing the Wii. These people were having fun. These people were of all ages, genders, and colors. Viewers thought "Hm, people have fun with that thing, maybe we should see what it's like?" Remember those PS3 commercials? They showed people taking dumps, jumping on beds, EXPLODING MONEY, stacking cups, doing tricks on bikes, or just a baby crying. Viewers thought "Hm, crazy bullshit." Then they bought a Wii.
Slaziman @ Mar 25th 2007 5:35AM
Man you people saying this is somehow good advertising are retarded. Conversation between 2 friends who've seen the ad:
Man did you see that fucking weird ad for PS3?
Yeah fucking weird man!!
Man and that thing is 600 euros, what the fuck?
I know man, what the hell happened to PlayStation?!
Yeah it went to hell...
Rubang B @ Mar 25th 2007 5:36AM
Anybody who says, "at least we're talking about the ad, so the ad worked," is full of poop. Are we even talking about Nintendo ads right now? Does Joystiq post about all of them? No. Do you realize how hard the Wii is outselling the PS3? Yeah, these ads worked. These ads got us to talk about how dumb these ads were. Those Wii ads, those got everybody to BUY WIIS. See the difference?
Maybe those 5 million fans in Europe couldn't get second jobs in time to save up for the system they wanted so bad they'd buy it even without games.
Bennyboy @ Mar 25th 2007 5:52AM
The ps3 is doing shit in the UK
I was in Ipswich yesterday and all of the electronics shops had ps3 in stock.
I couldnt beleive my eyes.
Curry's, Game, HMW, Virgin, Gamestation, Woolworths.
These things just are selling they had boxes and boxes just on the floor
1 DAY AFTER RELEASE!!!!
Burnt Meatloaf @ Mar 25th 2007 6:11AM
How can a company with so much money screw up so much? You'd think they'd have the sense to go to some big-shot ad company, throw tons of money at them, and yell, "SAVE US!"
Oh, wait. Maybe that's what they did.