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Playstation PSP Graffiti Ads

Just saw an interesting article PlayStation Graffiti Ads Spark Controversy

Quote:

PlayStation Graffiti Ads Spark Controversy

By MARYCLAIRE DALE, Associated Press Writer1 hour, 2 minutes ago

Sony Corp (NYSE:SNE - news). scouted out an unusual place to advertise its PlayStation Portable before the holidays: the side of an abandoned building in a gritty North Philadelphia neighborhood.

The black-on-white graffiti shows wide-eyed cartoon characters riding the PlayStation like a skateboard, licking it like a lollipop or cranking it like a Jack-in-the-Box.

But there's no mention of the Sony or PlayStation brands — nor any hint the wordless display is an ad.

The stealth marketing campaign has popped up in San Francisco, New York and other large U.S. cities.

"It's all about hip-hop, urban and all that. They're just trying to get into the teenagers' minds," said Eddie Torres, 29, who works at a nearby furniture shop. "I think it's sharp."

Anti-blight advocates think otherwise.

"They're breaking the law," said Mary Tracy, who runs the Society Created to Reduce Urban Blight, a watchdog group that fights illegal or ill-advised billboards in Philadelphia.

Tracy said Sony ignored the zoning process that regulates outdoor commercial advertising in the city.

Philadelphia Managing Director Pedro Ramos on Wednesday faxed a cease-and-desist letter to Sony Computer Entertainment's U.S. division in San Mateo, Calif. He could seek modest fines allowed by city code or sue to recover any profit the ads produced.

"My fines aren't going to scare Sony," Ramos said. "What will worry them is what the parents and their users will think. This really flies in the face of everything we've been trying to do with our anti-blight initiative."

The Sony division did not immediately respond to the letter or to a telephone message left by The Associated Press. However, Sony spokeswoman Molly Smith told an Internet news site earlier this month that Sony was hiring artists in seven cities — Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami and Chicago were the others — to spray paint the pre-drawn designs.

"With PSP being a portable product, our target is what we consider to be urban nomads," Smith told Wired News.

In San Francisco, the ads were defaced soon after they appeared as word spread that Sony was behind them. "Get out of my city!!!" and "Fony" were written on one.

"I thought it was sneaky. Not cool," said Zan Sterling, who works at a bar near one of the ads, which has since been painted over. "I hope that they paid for the cleanup and removal."

Critics and supporters agree the campaign is designed to crack through the clutter of marketing that pervades daily life. Others have criticized its visual appeal.

"They hired artists to just copy this same figure over and over, which isn't too creative," said 29-year-old Jake Dobkin, a New Yorker who writes for the blog Gothamist.com.

That matters little to North Philadelphia resident Leslie Griggs, 39, who said the Sony ad is an improvement over the handbills and scrawls it replaced.

"I don't think that's graffiti," Griggs said as she paused beside the PlayStation ad. "That's art."

___

On the Net:

Sony: http://www.sony.com/

Society Created to Reduce Urban Blight: http://www.urbanblight.org/

I personally thought the ads were quite cute. Ironically I also just got a PSP (via a friend who did not need his..). At the same time if they are violating the city law, I disagree with them using this ad. I think it can be done legally and have a great impact. Sony, did ask me to use a storefront that my office represented, but the owners lawyer told them that they are not allowed to, and hte issue was dropped. They offered to put the ad on this stores on the metal security gate for something like 1k/month.

I really hate cities telling people what they can and cannot do with their property.

It's paint on a building depicting cartoon characters, it's not like someones out there throwing aborted fetuses at random passers by to make a point.

Quote:

"I don't think that's graffiti," Griggs said as she paused beside the PlayStation ad. "That's art."

THATS NOT ART LADY, IT'S ANOTHER SIGN OF CORPORATIONS AND THEIR POWER OVER THE POPULACE, AND A REPRESENTATIVE OF OUR RECKLESS CONSUMERISM.

(Caps seemed so much more appropiate for a rant :) )

Quote:

Originally Posted by ziadel

So, I should be able to paint a picture of a giant naked lady on the side of my warehouse, because it's my property?

Quote:

Originally Posted by hulk

So, I should be able to paint a picture of a giant naked lady on the side of my warehouse, because it's my property?

Thats fine with me. :thumbsup:

Quote:

Originally Posted by hulk

So, I should be able to paint a picture of a giant naked lady on the side of my warehouse, because it's my property?

seconded sounds great! :cool:
When I was a kid someone had a van
with nude gothic warriors airbrushed on it
I thought is was great.

as far as Sony...
They are paying the building owners
a nice chunk of change.
and putting colorful paint on an intercity building
Sounds like an improvement.

While I think the ads are cute, and am a pseudo graffiti advocate (don't tell my dad! ;)) I don't really like what this signifies...

This is a major company exploiting the one type of art that the urban community claims as its own. It feels no better than a painting of a PSP commissioned by Sony hanging in an art gallery.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/image...iti_ap203b.jpg

Here's what one advert looks like. They don't even look good, i could see the idea working if it was less obvious or more in your face. However, it does cross the line of ethical advertising but then again so did flyposting and we all accept that now.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ziadel

While I agree with what you said but the article did fail to mention whether or not the property is owned by Sony. Or even if it wasn't, if Sony did in fact, pay for the illegal advertisement space.

Deja Vu.

http://www.motherjones.com/news/feature/2001/07/ibm.jpg

It cost IBM $120K for San Francisco. ~$200K nationwide.

Cheap marketing in the scheme of things. Company gets immediate exposure, repeat media coverage, some level of anti-establishment rep (if it isn't too contrived, like these Sony stencils), and the city gets a cut to look like they're doing their duty. Cost of business.

A few points:
1) Advertisers are evil, and will exploit any vector they can use to get through the hardened shell the cynical consumer-drone has constructed in order to protect what little dignity he has left.
2) It promotes consumerism in an area where people have no money. This can only increase the factors that play into the strain theory of crime. So, while ot1h the visual profile is 'improved' (Making it easier for the not-poor to justify ignoring what life is like in 'those areas'), otoh this sort of thing only makes the bad, worse. Not better.
3) the fact that the demographic for thier product is not where the ads are tells me Sony was counting on the controversy itself to generate media exposure.
4) Ads will only become more invasive and subtle. These clowns must be stopped, or we will all be inundated by the will of the overlords.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SERPENT7

3) the fact that the demographic for thier product is not where the ads are tells me Sony was counting on the controversy itself to generate media exposure.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SERPENT7

3) the fact that the demographic for thier product is not where the ads are tells me Sony was counting on the controversy itself to generate media exposure.

Not really true. I work in an area that consists mostly of lower income housing, and the vast majority of the people coming into the store are from said demographic. A significantly larger portion of them own PSPs than do my rich, white friends. I don't personally know anyone who owns the PSP, because they all have better things to spend their money on than a semi-decent multimedia handheld. (1 GB storage, and that's with a Memory Stick Pro Duo? [retail cost $140]) However, I regularly see people on welfare coming in for cases and screen protectors for their expensive little toy. No, Sony's advertising is right where they want it to be.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cellophanedeity

I don't think it's right, they shouldn't be using graffiti as a means to get people to buy the PSP's, because of all it has stood for in the past...also it's dishonest to not have the Sony logo or anything in them, like genuine street artists are endorsing the PSP...I have to admit though that it's a very clever campaign.