Sony’s new ad campaign for the white PSP is drawing a lot of attention, and I can see why. Sony has come out and said that they didn’t mean any racial implications, but I can’t really see how it didn’t cross their minds that people would interpret them that way.
Was someone asleep at the wheel when they approved these ads, or does sony follow the old saying, “There’s no such thing as bad publicity”?
Personally, I think these are in bad taste.
Found via Engadget | Additional photos here
UPDATE (7.13.06): Apparently Sony has seen the error of their ways. The ads have been pulled.
Absolutely in bad taste. Most of Sony’s European Ads are in bad taste. This is definitely the most controversial yet.
Don’t you think this is smart from Sony? Everybody is talking bout them now and that is waht they wanted. And i don’t think they are bad. It’s just something different and very original i must say.
If you saw more images from the campaign you may realise that they’re not meant to be racist and people are just doing the usual knee-jerk reaction that gets just *so* boring.
Subtle yet still racist, in my opinion. Lest we forget the models who posed.
Yuck.
I saw the other images, and I agree with a commenter over at Engadget, that the billboards would have to be hung next to each other, in order for someone not to perceive them as racist. Even if they were hung together, I would still consider them antagonistic, at very least. I think they could have achieved the same message using two people of the same race. I personally don’t think Sony meant to send a truly racist message, but I do believe that they intentionally played the race card, for shock value. I don’t like it.