Sony has had a rather checkered history with their advertising in the past. From the creepy baby doll in a white room to advertise the launch of the PS3 to the very, very inappropriate ad for the new white PSP in Amsterdam, their advertising for their gaming systems has been... less than stellar. Since the introduction of their "Kevin Butler" ads in late 2009, that trend seems to have changed (lesson: humor is always better than creepy), and we've had two years of great PS3 ads.
But now the PlayStation brand is branching out, and we're seeing the first PS-branded smartphone later this Spring. The Sony Ericsson Xperia Play (yes, it's confusing, PlayStation Phone would've been easier... get over it) is the first "PlayStation Certified" Android device, and comes with a built-in sliding game pad, somewhat similar to the one on the PSPgo, while supporting the newest Android operating system, 2.3 'Gingerbread.' Of course, with a new device comes a new advertising campaign... and this one did not start off too well.
Yes, that really is as creepy as you think it is. Now, I'm not one to dismiss back-alley surgeons, I'm sure they're wonderful people, but this doesn't scream to me "go and buy this cell phone" so much as "avoid having your thumbs hacked off."
But, thankfully, Sony remembered that it was the funny that helped turn things around, and so they just recently unveiled their new, lighter ad campaign. Please to enjoy...
(If you've every seen Flight of the Conchords you'll recognize the actress, Kristen Schaal, who's also recurring on The Daily Show, apparently.)
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