Sony defends white PSP ad

By Ellie Gibson Published 5 July, 2006

Following accusations of racism.

Sony Computer Entertainment has defended itself against accusations of racism over a controversial advert for the new 'Ceramic white' PSP.

The advert, which has appeared on billboards in the Netherlands, shows a white woman gripping a black woman by the jaw and features the slogan: "PlayStation Portable White is coming." Many websites and forum posters have protested that the advert is racist and are campaigning for its removal.

A Sony spokesperson has responded by stating that the ad does not have a racist message and that is part of a wider marketing campaign, telling our sister site, GamesIndustry.biz: "The marketing campaign for the launch of the White PSP in the Benelux focuses on the contrast between the Black PSP model and the new Ceramic white PSP model."

'Sony defends white PSP ad' Screenshot 1

"A variety of different treatments have been created as a campaign to either highlight the whiteness of the new model or contrast the black and the white models. Central to this campaign has been the creation of some stunningly photographed imagery, that has been used on large billboards throughout Holland."

According to the spokesperson, "All of the 100 or so images created for the campaign have been designed to show this contrast in colours of the PSPs , and have no other message or purpose."

It seems the controversial ad is unlikely to appear outside Holland, with a representative from Sony's UK office telling GI.biz: "I would like to confirm that we categorically are not running this advert creative in the UK."

You can see some of the other images used as part of the campaign elsewhere on Eurogamer, and on the Dutch PSP website.

Picture of Ellie.

About Ellie Gibson

Since joining Eurogamer in the mid 2000s, Ellie has written about subjects as diverse as the fall of Gizmondo, the rise of Hollyoaks actresses in Red Alert games and the noise a bear makes under NSFW circumstances.

Read more articles from Ellie by visiting the Ellie Gibson archive page.

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Comments (171) Latest comment 6 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • the_dudefather #1 6 years ago

    PCGM - remember: no named flames on the forecourt either
    Edited by 1 at 05/07/06 @ 15:42

  • Scientist #2 6 years ago

    "with a representative from Sony's UK office telling GI.biz: "I would like to confirm that we categorically are not running this advert creative in the UK.""

    Because they think it's racist?
    The rise of the far right has been well-documented in Benelux recently.

  • octo #3 6 years ago

    If Sony ran that ad in the UK, there would be a shitstorm of epic proportions.

  • Xephon70 #4 6 years ago

    This is getting silly...oh, hang on, it's the silly season. I really don't think a PSP ad is going to make anyone more or less racist than they already are.

  • ManicDrunkMonk #5 6 years ago

    I feel more racist already. But then again that old Sony ad with the weird, alien-faced girl gave me some unusual fetishes.
    Edited by 1 at 05/07/06 @ 14:28

  • drumbaby #6 6 years ago

    Had it been the black PSP coming after the white ('The Black PSP is Coming') with a white girl being gripped by a black girl...

    Also racist?

  • tiddles #7 6 years ago

    those crizy Dutch guys

  • Schiraman #8 6 years ago

    Since in some images the black girl has the upper hand and in others the white girl has, I think it's fair to say that they're not racist. People just need to get a grip.

  • ShoKay #9 6 years ago

    OK this is inevitably going to be followed by the usual 'political correctness gone mad!' drum-beaters, but however you percieve racism, you have to admit that (especially in a country and a continent in general undergoing some serious racial tension) putting an advert out where a person of one colour fights a person of another colour and the advert is about selling the 'improvement' of one colour over the other is, if nothing else, incredibly STUPID.

  • wayn3h #10 6 years ago

    To drumbaby;

    of course not. ;)

  • JediMasterMalik #11 6 years ago

    @drumbaby - Great point. Political correctness is going crazy these days. The skin colour contrast in these ads is the point of the ads, that doesn't make it racist.

  • BurningR #12 6 years ago

    Frod: OMG! is it that bad?!

  • Cabelo #13 6 years ago

    Balls to this.

    I think peeps need to climb off their collective PC horses and calm down.

    Ask the following questions:

    1) Am I hurt by this ad?

    2) Is anyone I know hurt by this ad?

    If the answer to both is no (and I can't think of a case in which it's not) then I view it in a cheerily "arty" light.

    I despise the whole "everything is racist" kick. How many people are even showing the ads where the black lass IS the dominant party? No news there... when it's not racist it's not news.

  • Carpathian #14 6 years ago

    Utter and complete rubbish.

    The ad portrays one woman showing power over another woman. That's all. End of.

    If it had been two white woman, two black woman or the roles reveresed would anybody have commented ? Eveybody seems to be looking for things to moan about these days - not realising they're falling into the very trap they seek to avoid.

    In another of the campaigns images the black girl is sitting on the white girl, giving *her* the edge that time round. Rascist ? Deplorable ? Just two girls on a poster ? I know which of the three I see.

    Besides, who's to say what the power base is between the two people pictured in this one ? For all we know one is about to kiss the other. Assuming negative intentions on the part of the "white" character is rascist in and of itself - saying the woman is doing bad things to the other becuase one is white and the other is black is worse than the perceived offence of the poster in the first place.

    Sheesh. What next.............. {rolls eyes}

  • Cabelo #15 6 years ago

    I loves Carpathian :)
    Edited by 1 at 05/07/06 @ 14:40

  • Steroyd #16 6 years ago

    Oh joy on top of this the 7/7 bombing anniversary is in two days.

    What a big week for racisim.

  • Grim... #17 6 years ago

    Racist! Racist! Racist!

    Of course, both of those women are probably Beligan...

  • Rambaldi #18 6 years ago

    In a world where racism did not exist, this advert would not even cause a murmer. By claiming that it is racist (which it clealry was not intended to be) we are merely admitting that we live in a racist world and thus compounding the problem.

    Fuck racists. Fuck the PC brigade. Fuck skin colour. Make art. Play games.

  • Teeth #19 6 years ago

    ShoKay, they're not saying the white PSP is any better or worse than the black one.

  • jellyhead #20 6 years ago

    Fine, lets just have white people in adverts just in case we upset someone.
    oh no, that upsets people too!
    / Sigh
    It's a lost cause, people will see racism/sexism/whateverism in anything put out there.

  • Freek #21 6 years ago

    But we do live in a racist world, it is still an issue so using those stereotypes in an advertising campaign is bad taste.

    And this isn't just seeing things that aren't there, the advert isn't merely having or not having people of a particular race in it. It's specificly about promoting the superiority of one product color over the other using humans.
    Edited by 1 at 05/07/06 @ 14:54

  • Canadian_Mike #22 6 years ago

    Being from one of the most politically correct countries in the world i'd have to say the imagery does feel somewhat offensive. Their clothing is one example, the posture another.

    But the artist in me finds the contrast brilliant and loves the thought provoking nature of the ad. I must admit Sony marketing in general is spectacular.

    ...a little to deep for the average gamer though if you ask me.


    *outs spliff...goes back to work*

  • gth #23 6 years ago

    It's funny how most sites mention the other two pictures not at all or with a link at the end.

  • jack_klugman #24 6 years ago

    Sony Computer Entertainment has defended itself against accusations of racism over a controversial advert for the new 'Negro Black' PSP.

    The advert, which has appeared on billboards in the Netherlands, shows a well built black man inserting his erect penis in a nubile white girl and features the slogan: "PlayStation Portable Black is coming."

  • Scientist #25 6 years ago

    Now had this been a white bishop taking a black rook...

    They didn't have to use humans to frame the colour difference. They simply chose the easiest and most controversial route. That's what shit advertising creatives do for the excessive salaries.

    "If one more person in this thread refers to ADVERTISING as "art" "

    I'll second that.
    Edited by 1 at 05/07/06 @ 15:03

  • Zuiyo #26 6 years ago

    Hey Jack, where was that ad again? Me wanna see! :)

  • Steroyd #27 6 years ago

    You know... the PSP white was beng advertised with the LocoRoco game in Virgin in England.

    That's whole lot of racism right there lol.

  • Stickman #28 6 years ago

    Does writing the EG news section consist of scanning the forum and seeing what everyone's talking about?

    Next tagline - "Cagliari's mother-in-law allergic to goat. Lipsticks involved.'

  • Skooch #29 6 years ago

    OK, this is pretty straightforward:

    Controversy x PC do-gooders = Publicity

    Publicity leads to more awareness, and more awareness puts the product at the forefront of peoples' minds. Next time a consumer goes into a shop and think about the possibility of buying a handheld what springs into their mind first? a PSP.

    On the racism front, STFU! If it had been a white chick with blonde hair grabbing a white chick with black hair no-one would have batted an eyelid - let alone start waving the flag of hair-ism!

  • Darkedge #30 6 years ago

    well it's working for publicity...

  • Freek #31 6 years ago

    Becuase hair-ism doesn't exist wich means it woulden't be using negative stereotypes wich would have made it a great add.

  • El_MUERkO #32 6 years ago

    put dildos in there hands and it'd make for good fetish porn

  • #33 6 years ago

    ya she is pretty hot

    the regular psp is way ugly and boring. white power!

  • manic_mouse #34 6 years ago

    "They didn't have to use humans to frame the colour difference"

    Why not?

    Some people are black, some people are white. Is there any particular reason we should ignore this fact? What if it had been someone with white hair and someone with black hair, would you then be complaining? What's the difference between the colour of hair and colour of skin?

    I can't stand racism, but equally I can't stand political correctness either. Both are extreme and stupid view-points.

    EDIT: "Becuase hair-ism doesn't exist"

    and here we have it people. The sheer stupidity and double standards of political correctness. Why is skin any different than hair when it comes to what colour it is?
    Edited by 2 at 05/07/06 @ 15:19

  • Bitkari #35 6 years ago

    Utter and complete rubbish.

    [etc etc...]


    Spot on. You saved me writing a lengthy post on this topic, cheers :]

  • Freek #36 6 years ago

    The difference is verry clear and easy; skin color is used in racism, hair color is not. Using one is fine, using the other is bad taste.
    And they aren't just portraying people of different color in an add in any old random way, it's speciclly about the superiority of one over the other.

    Simply whiping everything away as politicall correctness gone mad is equally stupid as it completly side steps the issue and simply lumps it onto something else entirely.
    Much like throwing the word fanboy around randomly in discussion about hardware without actaully looking at what has been said.

    Recognizng the existance of an issue does not mean you agree with said issue. That's just stupid and has nothing to do with double standards. If there were say Neo Hair groups going on about hair color or have a history of segragation between people with different hair color it would be an equally bad topic for advertising.
    And I never said that add was racists, since that is pretty obviouse not what it's promoting, just that it is in poor taste and pretty stupid it got through any sort of design meeting.
    Edited by 3 at 05/07/06 @ 15:26

  • asphaltcowboy #37 6 years ago

    It's not racist for goodness sake. People are far too sensitive nowadays!

  • The-Bodybuilder #38 6 years ago

    I'm sure an ad were a white woman is grappling an inferior black woman (why not use a white woman wearing black) in a massive billboard would not ignite racism. I'm sure when someone sees such an ad, the first thing that comes to mind is "I'm sure this ad is about the psp".

  • manic_mouse #39 6 years ago

    "The difference is verry clear and easy; skin color is used in racism, hair color is not. Using one is fine, using the other is bad taste."

    So if I say you're an inferior human being because of the colour of your hair then that's fine?

    "And they aren't just portraying people of different color in an add in any old random way, it's speciclly about the superiority of one over the other. "

    As others have pointed out, there is another version of the add which shows the black woman in dominance. So no, the adverts do not show one "colour" to be superior to the other because both PSPs are the same.

  • Scientist #40 6 years ago

    "Some people are black, some people are white. Is there any particular reason we should ignore this fact? What if it had been someone with white hair and someone with black hair, would you then be complaining?"

    I've not said it's racist, nor am I complaining. My issue is with the laziness of the advertisers for picking something which they know will create controversy. And the fact that the UK office will "categorically" not use it.

    I actually think the ad looks like an ersatz early 80s ID magazine fashion shoot. If that's the level of Dutch creativity these days...

  • Zuiyo #41 6 years ago

    "Some people are black, some people are white. Is there any particular reason we should ignore this fact?"

    Historically there is something called slavery which involved skin colour as an excuse to deprive people of its humanity and rights in the interests of capital. The repercusions of this continue today.

    One thing is to ignore it, another is to make use of it tastefully and with care as it is a very touchy subject for millions of humans.

  • The-Bodybuilder #42 6 years ago

    >"Also racist? "

    Obviously, but let's not forget that we live in a world with a past of slavery. To move on, we need to dissasociate from a pass (and such an ad doesn't help).

  • Canadian_Mike #43 6 years ago

    "If one more person in this thread refers to ADVERTISING as "art" "
    @ManicMinerUK & Scientist


    Like it or not, modern ADVERTISING has become one of the biggest outlets for artists these days.

    Some of the brightest and most talented artists in the word work for places like these doing advertising and making VFX for film etc. They need to eat!!

    When was the last time you or anyone you know went out and bought a painting? Or name me 5 modern time, traditional medium artists off the top of your head.

    See what i mean?



  • Freek #44 6 years ago

    No, you saying it would be bad, using it as a metaphor in a product advertisment would be okay since it diden't have any overtones of a real world problem. So it would only carry that one meaing, relating to the product.
    And there are other versions of the add but not showing anybody in dominance over the other, this one though is still in poor taste.
    But wether it's white on black or the other way round it's still refrencing to the same thing: the racial conflict, just in a differnt way.
    Edited by 3 at 05/07/06 @ 15:32

  • BLACKSHEEP #45 6 years ago

    Guess the advert worked ;)

  • corposant #46 6 years ago

    In the words of Mr Michael Winner, 'Calm down dear, it's only an advert.'

    If you check out the Dutch PSP site you will see another of the ads depicts a black women wrestling a white women to the ground. So are the ads therefore racist towards white people too?

    It's perhaps a little niaive of Sony to think that people wouldn't draw conclusions based on racial imagery from these ads. Perhaps that was the aim of the campaign. Never the less, I think people are reading far too much into this.
    Edited by 1 at 05/07/06 @ 15:35

  • Zuiyo #47 6 years ago

    "I'm sorry, but WTF are you talking about? Seriously? You're wanting to ban this ad on the basis of slavery?"

    No. I would not have this ad banned. Particularly I don't think it is racist nor offends me personally. But understandably people suffering because of racism either present or past can find it offensive, and that is why when somebody asks why we should ignore the fact of people's colour skin I mention slavery.

  • manic_mouse #48 6 years ago

    "Historically there is something called slavery which involved skin colour as an excuse to deprive people of its humanity and rights in the interests of capital. The repercusions of this continue today.

    One thing is to ignore it, another is to make use of it tastefully and with care as it is a very touchy subject for millions of humans."

    "To move on, we need to dissasociate from a pass (and such an ad doesn't help)"

    This is what I'm getting at. By treating black people with kid gloves you are not helping the world get over the terrible past of slavery. The way I live my life is that I treat everyone as equally as possible be they black, white, gay, ginger, bald or whatever! I don't pander to the past, I learn from it.

    I refuse to believe that black people want to be treated with kid gloves. I believe everyone should be treated equally. The add with the black woman being dominant over the white woman is just as "racist", yet it isn't making any headlines.

    In a world where racism doesn't exist these adverts would not even be given a second thought. By making such a fuss over them we are preventing that world from existing.
    Edited by 1 at 05/07/06 @ 15:38

  • bauhaus #49 6 years ago

    Is Chuck D racist?

  • #50 6 years ago

    If it was a perfume ad for example, no one would say anything; but remember it’s an ad for a games console, so it’s a perfect opportunity for attention whores and Jack Thompson wannabes to fuel people’s already negative views on anything to do with gaming. Sad...

    Actually now that I looked at it a bit more carefully... errrm... nothing!
    Edited by 1 at 05/07/06 @ 15:55

  • Zuiyo #51 6 years ago

    Any blacks reading this care to comment?

  • Freek #52 6 years ago

    If it was a perfume add it would stirr up the same thing, you'd just read it on a fashion site rather then a game site.

  • Zuiyo #53 6 years ago

    "By treating black people with kid gloves you are not helping the world get over the terrible past of slavery."

    Well, they are not getting reparations from corporations either so what can we do to help the world to get over it?

  • Mho7276501 #54 6 years ago

    please please please stop refering to ADVERTS as art, they are not art they are designed to sell a product, that is not art. They have no artistic value or merit, they are a purely functional device and if you can't see that, i pity you as you are now a complete consumer entity and no longer a human being.
    Edited by 1 at 05/07/06 @ 15:43

  • Stickman #55 6 years ago

    The Sony marketing department is reading threads like this and rubbing their hands.

    There's simply nothing to get up in arms about. The black and white PSP's are battling for supremacy. The black and the white woman are battling for supremacy. Its not a race thing, its a colour thing.

    Probably shouldn't have used 'white' and 'supremacy' so close together...

  • Steroyd #56 6 years ago

    Any blacks reading this care to comment?

    aren't you putting yourself in it even further?

    Someone please tell me how else Sony is going to advertise the Black and White PSP one way or another the two colours black and white are going to share the same piece of paper in advertising one way or another.... like paper and ink.

    Or is not including the Black PSP in the ad acknowledging that the Black PSP is not worth it anymore.

  • manic_mouse #57 6 years ago

    "what can we do to help the world to get over it?"

    By treating everyone equally in future and learning from the past. Which exactly why I have no problem with these advertisements. Screaming "racism" at every little thing certainly isn't helping the world get over it's past.

    As Ali G would say: "Is it 'cuz I is black?"
    Edited by 1 at 05/07/06 @ 15:45

  • #58 6 years ago

    "Probably shouldn't have used 'white' and 'supremacy' so close together..."

    HOW DARE YOU!!!???
    GET HIM!!!
    ;-)
    Edited by 1 at 05/07/06 @ 15:47

  • masterson #59 6 years ago

    There's only two things I hate in this world. People who are intolerant of other people's cultures...and the Dutch.

  • Freek #60 6 years ago

    Promoting one product color over the other isn't the issue, it's how they choose to ilustrate that message that's a little ill thought out. Could have been other ways, the hair thing, the chess idea.

  • manic_mouse #61 6 years ago

    "There's simply nothing to get up in arms about. The black and white PSP's are battling for supremacy. The black and the white woman are battling for supremacy. Its not a race thing, its a colour thing."

    They should have another add with the black and white woman beating up a small quirky japanese bloke with "touch me" written on his stomach.

  • manic_mouse #62 6 years ago

    "Promoting one product color over the other isn't the issue, it's how they choose to ilustrate that message that's a little ill thought out."

    But the intention of the ad has absolutely nothing to do with race conflict. It's not Sony's fault if some people chose to interpret it that way.
    Edited by 1 at 05/07/06 @ 15:51

  • Sorb #63 6 years ago

    I hear Sony will start bundling the PSPs with Roots kits now (book/DVD)...

  • Freek #64 6 years ago

    It is unintentional but it is thier own fault as it isn't some obscure fair fetched little thing, it's a direct refrence. Somebody diden't think things through.

  • Steroyd #65 6 years ago

    It is unintentional but it is thier own fault as it isn't some obscure fair fetched little thing, it's a direct refrence. Somebody diden't think things through.

    Yes they did because they have another advert with the exact opposite of what's going on in this advert.

    Adverts are there to be interpreted for the product, but people can dig deep and twist things the wrong way.

    Touch me.

  • Freek #66 6 years ago

    Wich is the same thing: racial conflict. Wether you putt one or the other in dominance or both doesn't really change the undertone.
    Yes, saying the add is promoting racism is silly, it is clearly about the PSP, but how they choose to do it is in poor taste.
    Edited by 1 at 05/07/06 @ 16:00

  • djchump #67 6 years ago

    To everyone saying it was "unintentional" - I bet my bottom dollar that Sony intentionally made it a bit risque to whip up controversy and get itself extra press. c.f. with their "risque" PSP ads on the tube etc.

    Some Sony bod probably made the first "OMGZ, THIS IS RACIALIST" statement to kick this all off, then all the Sony adevertising dept. just sit back laughing and let the gaming media and forum members do the rest for them.

  • manic_mouse #68 6 years ago

    "It is unintentional but it is thier own fault as it isn't some obscure fair fetched little thing, it's a direct refrence. Somebody diden't think things through."

    Like I said, shouldn't we learn from the past instead of looking to it as an excuse to cause conflict or ingrain a persecution complex? I'm not saying that we should forget about the terrible things that were done to the African people, but can we please look back and say "all people should be treated equally" and leave it at that?

    As a very famous person once said:

    "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

    We can't change the past. But we can change the present and future, by ignoring racism entirely and treating people equally.
    Edited by 1 at 05/07/06 @ 16:04

  • Xerx3s #69 6 years ago

    The rise of the far right has been well-documented in Benelux recently.

    Really? As far as I know, the belgium socialist government have blocked any form of right. The dutch government is as far as I know a christian democrat/liberal(who did more for the poor than all left wing parties compbined)/centrum left government (far from right thus). I don't know about the ppl in luxembough, but it will prolly be in the same lines. So, care to refraise that statement?

  • Freek #70 6 years ago

    Sony isn't that smart, pretty unlikely they'd be willing to do something that risky. GTA and Take Twos seemingly minor slip up lead to a mountain of proffit leaching lawsuites. Lots of press attention only goes so far and everybody knows it.
    There's an air of negativity around gaming, playing with that is like playing with fire.

    The political parties in charge are indeed not right wing or extremist but the general feeling in society is getting much more rightwing and harsher.
    Wich in Holland for example lead to the huge popularity of minister Rita Verdonk and her pretty hard treatment of imigrants. Eventaully that came back to bite her (and the rest of the kabinet) in the ass but that's another issue altogehther.
    Edited by 1 at 05/07/06 @ 16:08

  • #71 6 years ago

    "There's an air of negativity around gaming, playing with that is like playing with fire."

    Exactly!

  • Stickman #72 6 years ago

    As a very famous person once said:

    "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

    ...and those children grew up to be The Teletubbies. Its a beautiful tale.

  • SeesThroughAll #73 6 years ago

    The quality and effectiveness of this campaign is what one should wonder about, not racism. The girls on the poster are just personifying both versions of the PSP, and that's all there is to it.

    Naturally, I also think that Sony was expecting a hint of controversy. Meta-advertising, if you will. Whenever someone shouts "racists!" and points to the poster, tens of others will look at it. That's what publicity is all about.

  • AcidSnake #74 6 years ago

    @Xerx3s
    Actually the dutch goverment fell last week...
    And the coalition didn't actually do that much for the poor...
    Furthermore one of the main parties (VVD) have a new very harsh stand towards illegal immigrants and refugees....
    One of the reasons the goverment collapsed actually....

  • jack_klugman #75 6 years ago

    Zebra bridges racial divide!

  • The_Aardvark #76 6 years ago

    There's a whole lot of stupid going on in this thread.

    The advert is not "racist". It does not say that white people are better than black people. It should not be banned.

    BUT

    We live in a world where racial divisions are a very real problem. Using a theme of "race war" to convince people to buy your electronic toy is not big or clever or cool or hard. It's just in somewhat poor taste. And don't imagine that Sony didn't do this on purpose.

    Skin colour is different to hair colour. How many people were murdered with an axe in Britain last year because they were Blonde?

    Also, reverse racism is still racism. And yes Chuck D is a racist (but not as much as Professor Griff).

  • Skooch #77 6 years ago

    I'm fed up with the fact that anything showing conflict between a white and a black person is automatically assumed to promote racism. It is the people that jump to this conclusion that are the source of the problem. The fact they are so quick to bring racial issues into the equation says more about themselves than the advert. And the sad thing is that it doesn't work both ways. Am I upset by the advert showing the black chick dominant over the white chick - no! And I haven't heard one person on this forum saying that that is offensive and insulting. But when it's the other way round it's hands-in-the-air time. That's as stupid as thinking racism is one-way.

  • Stickman #78 6 years ago

    Yeah, maybe the white woman is angry with the black woman because she's a right annoying bastard. Nowt to do with being black.

  • Walshicus #79 6 years ago

    This isn't the first marketting fuck up Sony have made and it wont be the last. We don't live in a world where a person's colour can be viewed in isolation of anything else. We live in a world where people of African origin are still the subject of intolerance and discrimination and where segments of society actively seek to promote racial conflict. These adverts look like they should have come out of the BNP or French National Front rather than a major international corporation's marketting department - a department that should have known that the historical absence of race issue awareness does not extend out side of Japan.

    The insensitivity of these adverts comes from the conflict between the two races rather than exclussively from the fact that one is dominating the other. If they had ANY sense they would have made the African woman wear white and the European woman wear black - highlighting both conflict and cooperation.


    The final thing to note though is that even if we lived in a world where racism and prejudice was absent, these adverts would still be rubbish. The imagery, lighting and predictable use of your standard "sharp" white woman - who I personally find utterly ugly - and a "soft" black woman - who is in some takes androgenous - is the kind of thing you'd expect from a first year art/design student. Boring.

  • Scientist #80 6 years ago

    "So, care to refraise that statement?"

    Okay, I'll rephrase. (By "Recently" I wasn't referring to the past few weeks but the new paradigm we find ourselves in)

    "Post 9/11 has seen a rise in racial tensions in Benelux to the point that a MAJOR political party had to be banned (never a sign of a heathly democracy).
    The Netherlands, previously viewed as the bastion of consensual politics has also seen high profile cases of racial disharmony, admittedly often along religious lines, which have shattered the Dutch as the apex of tolerance.

    But this is not just about parliamentary politics; it's how the people in the street act and think."

    Granted, not quite as pithy.

  • Cabelo #81 6 years ago

    Klugman, I lawled.

  • JonFE #82 6 years ago

    The way I see it, so much criticism can only mean that this ad campaign is a successful one :)

  • drumbaby #83 6 years ago

    Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony
    Side by side on my piano keyboard, oh lord, why dont we?
    We all know that people are the same where ever we go
    There is good and bad in evryone,
    We learn to live, we learn to give
    Each other what we need to survive together alive.

    Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony
    Side by side on my piano keyboard, oh lord why dont we?

    Ebony, ivory living in perfect harmony
    Ebony, ivory, ooh

    We all know that people are the same where ever we go
    There is good and bad in evryone,
    We learn to live, we learn to give
    Each other what we need to survive together alive.

    Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony
    Side by side on my piano keyboard, oh lord why dont we?

    Ebony, ivory living in perfect harmony (repeat and fade)

  • Zuiyo #84 6 years ago


    Did you get your race card?
    I didn’t get my race card
    Did you get your race card?
    Hell no, I didn’t get my race card!
    Did you get your race card?
    Homeboy, where’d you get your race card?
    Did you get your race card?
    White boy, what is a race card?

    Please don’t believe the hype
    Everything in the world ain’t black and white
    Everybody ain’t a stereotype
    Just because I look wrong, I’m about to do right
    Please don’t believe the hype
    Everything in the world ain’t black and white
    Everybody ain’t a stereotype
    Just because I look wrong, I’m about to do right

    Black as midnight, or bright as Snow White
    You’d better do me right, or I’ma have to take flight
    Put you on ice, blast on you twice
    If you’re a zebra, better come out them stripes
    Just because I’m dressed like I’m straight out of jail
    Make more money then them white boys at Yale
    And got more sense than your fucking President
    That college graduate? He can’t pay his rent
    But don’t call me brother, man
    Unless your ass got my money in your other hand
    Pull that black man shit, that white man shit
    But see a suit and tie, and I’ll still get your ass euthanized
    Cuz I never got my race card in the mail
    Is that the reason why my life still hard as Hell?
    I’ve been to jail, just like Martha Stewart
    And we both told the judge that we didn’t do it

    Did you get your race card?
    Hell, no, I didn’t get my race card!
    Did you get your race card?
    Everybody, show me your race card!
    Did you get your race card?
    Yo, what the hell is race card?
    Did you get your race card?
    Can anybody tell me what is a race card?

    Please don’t believe the hype
    Everything in the world ain’t black and white
    Everybody ain’t a stereotype
    Just because I look wrong, I’m about to do right
    Please don’t believe the hype
    Everything in the world ain’t black and white
    Everybody ain’t a stereotype
    Just because I look wrong, I’m about to do right

    Did you get your race card?
    Did you get your race card?
    Did you get your race card?
    Did you get your race card?

    Please don’t believe the hype
    Everything in the world ain’t black and white
    Everybody ain’t a stereotype
    Just because I look wrong, I’m about to do right
    Please don’t believe the hype
    Everything in the world ain’t black and white
    Everybody ain’t a stereotype
    Just because I look wrong, I’m about to do right

    Did you get your race card?
    Did you get your race card?
    Did you get your race card?
    Did you get your race card?

  • gth #85 6 years ago

    "This isn't the first marketting fuck up Sony have made and it wont be the last. "

    Which marketing campaign of Nintondo or Microsoft can you think of that made such a "big" splash? That made people talk? I see... looks like Sony's marketing-office is pretty good on what they are doing.

  • drumbaby #86 6 years ago

    Zuiyo...MC Hammer?

  • Walshicus #87 6 years ago

    gth; The Microsoft campaign where the baby was born flying out of his mother, ageing in the air and landed in his grave as an old man. That advert was banned in the UK and won an award at Cannes I believe. That actually was a good advert though... so there is a difference.

    Microsoft adverts have widely been praised. I personally loved that pretend gun shootout in the train station from before the 360 launched.

    Don't tell me you believe that crap that any publicity is good publicity?
    Edited by 2 at 05/07/06 @ 16:39

  • Zuiyo #88 6 years ago

    Ice Cube, Drumbaby. The song is called "Black & White", of all things...

  • drumbaby #89 6 years ago

    LOL...I was only joking m8 :)

  • Stickman #90 6 years ago

    I drove my tractor through your haystack last night
    (ooh aah ooh aah)
    I threw me pitchfork at your dog to keep quiet
    (ooh aah ooh aah)
    Now something's telling me
    That you'm avoiding me
    Come on now darling you've got something I need

    Cuz I got a brand new combine harvester
    An' I'll give you the key
    Come on now let's get together
    In perfect harmony
    I got twenty acres
    An' you got forty-three
    Now I got a brand new combine harvester
    An' I'll give you the key

    She made I laugh ha ha

    I'll stick by you, I'll give you all that you need
    We'll 'ave twins and triplets
    I'm a man built for speed
    And you know I'll love you darlin'
    So give me your hand
    But what I want the most
    Is all they acres of land

    Cuz I got a brand new combine harvester
    An' I'll give you the key
    Come on now let's get together
    In perfect harmony
    I got twenty acres
    An' you got forty-three
    Now I got a brand new combine harvester
    An' I'll give you the key

    Ooaah she's a lovely bit of stuff an' all

    For seven long years I've been alone in this place
    Eat, sleep, in the kitchen, it's a proper disgrace
    Now if I cleaned it up would you change your mind
    I'll give up drinking scrumpy and that lager and lime

    Cuz I got a brand new combine harvester
    An' I'll give you the key
    Come on now let's get together
    In perfect harmony
    I got twenty acres
    An' you got forty-three
    Now I got a brand new combine harvester
    An' I'll give you the key

    Who loves ya baby ha

    Weren't we a grand couple at that last wurzel dance
    I wore brand new gaters and me cordouroy pants
    In your new Sunday dress with your perfume smelling grand
    We had our photos took and us holding hands

    Now I got a brand new combine harvester
    An' I'll give you the key
    Now that we'me both past our fifties I think that you and me
    Should stop this galavanting and will you marry me
    Coz I got a brand new combine harvester
    An' I'll give you the key

    Aahh yu're a fine looking woman and I can't wait to get me 'ands on your land

  • #91 6 years ago

    "These adverts look like they should have come out of the BNP or French National Front rather than a major international corporation's marketting department - a department that should have known that the historical absence of race issue awareness does not extend out side of Japan."

    As far as I know, Sony Computer Entertainment's main marketing department is actually based in the US and Sony Europe has its own marketing department.

  • Walshicus #92 6 years ago

    That makes it even worse Nintendude... Whatever happened to the days of thousands of people resolving into a Mario face, or innocent "Sega do what Nintendon't"?

  • Kami #93 6 years ago

    Even if the image doesn't offend you personally, don't be so naive to think such an image (And look at the image) isn't going to offend some people at least. It doesn't hurt me personally either, but I can very clearly see a white woman holding dominance over a black woman, in an aggressive way.

    If this was just an image, on the internet, I'd say, "Calm down, horses for courses." Because I would say there's no accounting for taste on the web. But on a billboard in a public place, this image is just not bright, not clever and yes, can be seen as having racist overtones. Taste issues have to be brought up in a billboard ad, because you're not asking people not to see it, you're putting it up so they CAN see it.

    Sony are pressing the buttons a lot these days, it has to be said. Just not pressing the right ones often enough...
    Edited by 1 at 05/07/06 @ 16:55

  • #94 6 years ago

    "Ebony and ivory live together in perfect harmony
    Side by side on my piano keyboard, oh lord, why dont we?"

    Oh my god! That's such a stereotypical comparison!
    KILL HIM!

  • Scientist #95 6 years ago

    "As far as I know, Sony Computer Entertainment's main marketing department is actually based in the US and Sony Europe has its own marketing department."

    I'm not sure if that's actually the case. As far as I know Sony Europe has a central marketing department based in London working with its main ad agency which comes up with the Pan-European campaigns. The local territoires, in this instance, SCE Benelux, then have the option to create their own campaigns.

  • #96 6 years ago

    @Walshicus
    Yes, and that's what I meant!

  • #97 6 years ago

    @Scientist

    Sorry, I didn't know I had to list all European Sony marketing companies.

    Oh and I'm impressed you actually took time to read all of my comment this time rather than the "dude" bit of my nickname!
    Edited by 1 at 05/07/06 @ 16:57

  • Machetazo #98 6 years ago

    Well said, Mho7276501! I agree entirely. An advert IS NOT ART. It can become recognised as art, regarded as such; but it in itself is not art. Adverts send messages, that's their purpose. They sometimes strike nerves to do so, but the focus of their creation is ultimately mechanical. An artist simply portrays what they imagine, or see; but an advertising executive instead tries to craft their vision of reality, empowering and fueling that suggestion in some way, with an aim to bringing it into reality.

    I have seen the three images (claws, pinned, and held back) and I agree that "held back" is the most striking. However, if the message being delivered is that 'white PSP> black PSP'...That simply doesn't tally, when you look at the pinned image. Nothing in an ad campaign like this is a mistake. It's all strategically planned.

    I also disagree with the suggestion that the ad has "worked". Its purpose in the end, is to sell PSPs. It is very early days still, to be suggesting any success of this campaign. I doubt that it would do much to alter the view of anyone not already considering buying a PSP, but we'll wait and see.

  • polymorph #99 6 years ago

    Im white, it looks racist to me.
    Sony need to ban that shit quick, Im sure they didnt mean it the way it looks, But thats the way it looks, and people will crucify them for it.

  • kangarootoo #100 6 years ago

    I've tried to read through the whole thread before posting, but I'm bound to have missed something so apologies for any duplications.

    I have three thoughts on this.

    1. It seems unusual to me that this advert is only on display in certain countries and not in others. What you draw from that is anyone's guess, but it does smell slightly suspicious to me.

    2. I cannot believe a company like Sony has actually ran an ad like this. It seems either absurdly naive or absurdly manipulative (knowing the ad will get pulled but banking on the controversy it generates beforehand). I'm rather disappointed in it.

    3. It is not PC gone mad to see this image as potentially racist. Anyone saying "its not racist, its just one women dominating another" is being a little naive (sorry, but I don't know how else to say it). I'm not saying it was INTENDED to be racist, but the any advertising exec who was surprised to find that people though it might be needs a kick up the arse and a role appraisal. I do not believe for a second that the agency behind this did not see the controversy coming, not for a second.

    See it this way, if that image was hanging on a wall in the National Portrait Gallery what sort of discussion do you think it would generate? It is EXACTLY the kind of image Louie Therou might have seen hanging over someones hallway table when he visited the KKK.

    Very disappointed.

  • Scientist #101 6 years ago

    "Oh and I'm impressed you actually took time to read all of my comment this time rather than the "dude" bit of my nickname!"

    Touché! :-)

    "Sorry, I didn't know I had to list all European Sony marketing companies."

    The point I was trying to make is that this ad appears to have been made for Benelux only and the UK office has gone on record saying it wouldn't use this campaign. I don't think the US had much say in the matter.
    Edited by 1 at 05/07/06 @ 17:08

  • Teeth #102 6 years ago

    It's not just this image though kanga, there are a series of images, at least three. At least two of those show the white woman submitting to the black woman.

  • kangarootoo #103 6 years ago

    As a further thought, something that hasn't really been touched on.

    The words white and black don't mean that same thing when applied to people as they do when applied to actual shades of colour. My skin isn't actually white, my work colleagues skin isn't actually black.

    When we talk about white and black PSP models we are talking specifically about shades of colour, nothing more. This ad has taken that and made a connection with white and black as definitions of race. That connection was made by the advert, because it didn't exist previously when just the PSPs themselves were involved.

    For the ad to make that transference, and THEN use a slogan saying "white is coming". Unwise is all I'm saying.

  • kangarootoo #104 6 years ago

    @Teeth

    I've not seen the other images so my context is flawed I admit, but then neither have many of the public.

    Besides which, if I was feeling generous I would say that presenting opposite perspectives of the same bad thing does not necessarily create equilibrium. Does a racist person see the other advert your describe and as a result NOT laugh in the pub later with his racist friends? If I was feeling cynical I might suggest that the other ads exist to defend the one in question.

    Its a tough subject and its hard to know whether I'm being too sensitive about it. I don't trust advertising companies, they aren't there to give a shit about real world problems, so that jades me against things like this. When I see this ad I think "some f*cker knew this would be problematic, but also that it would make them some cash, so they didn't care".

    The idea of bigots saying to their C18 friends "have you seen that Sony ad, its dead good, the black woman looks really scared" etc makes me very uncomfortable.

    But would the absence of this ad make any difference to said bigots? Almost certainly not. Maybe I am being over sensitive. I remain disappointed all the same.

  • El_MUERkO #105 6 years ago

    WONT SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDS!!!






    NO NOT YOU GLITTER!

  • Azazel #106 6 years ago

    @masterson:

    LOL!

    all the thread is belong to you

  • Azazel #107 6 years ago

    Also:

    I doubt everyone in the past who has been treated wrongly on the grounds of race is prepared to 'leave it at that'

    But of course I'm forgetting that we all live in a flowerly, wooly-minded utopia so i'll just shut up.

  • Teeth #108 6 years ago


    Truk wrote:
    Context time!

    Wait for the screen to change. It's from a series.

  • Walshicus #109 6 years ago

    Yes we know that Teeth. They're all bad.

  • Riggers #110 6 years ago

    Not only is it racist, but it's SEXIST!!




    :p

  • Teeth #111 6 years ago

    @Walshicus

    I was posting for the benefit of kangarootoo who said his context was broken as he hadn't seen all of the images. Now, do you suppose that everyone reading has seen them?

  • SeesThroughAll #112 6 years ago

    Microsoft adverts have widely been praised. I personally loved that pretend gun shootout in the train station from before the 360 launched.

    The 360 advert was a good one, but the MS Office dinosaurs campaign I found very offensive towards the existing user base. And it wasn't even controversial. Just needlessly aggressive.

    Don't tell me you believe that crap that any publicity is good publicity?

    In the long run yes, it is. Product acknowledgement is the first and most important step in marketing.

  • Walshicus #113 6 years ago

    @Teeth
    Ah, I see. Fair enough!
    Edited by 1 at 05/07/06 @ 17:50

  • el_pollo_diablo #114 6 years ago

    This kind of marketing never did Benetton any harm, but still - why not try and sell it on the breadth and quality of games available for the syst....

    oh...

  • SNK #115 6 years ago

    "Microsoft adverts have widely been praised. I personally loved that pretend gun shootout in the train station from before the 360 launched."

    That was a terrible ad, and was much more direct than this billboard in question, which you can see is subjective. News to me that MS ads were praised, considering some of the oddest ones came from them; the DOAXBC ad in the US comes to mind. The Nintendo ads in Canada were similarly odd by portraying people consumed by gaming and are in rehab. One of them had an old man in his 80's who had wasted all his life.

    Let's not conviniently forget that Sony's own console ads have always been recognized and won awards consistently throughout the years. The R&C and Jak ads are some examples. That being said, the PSP ads are a sharp contrast to those (and I don't mean this one in particular, they've generally been bad). I'm referring to the TV commercials in the US with the squirls and dust balls; you can find them on youtube.
    Edited by 1 at 05/07/06 @ 17:56

  • alan_t #116 6 years ago

    this is unreal

    now if in the picture...there was a black women holding a white womens face.....then would that be classed as racislist?????
    um, i'll give you the answer myself......"NO".

    nuff said:D

  • gaselite #117 6 years ago

    Some people are black, and some people are white.

    Depicting this is not racist.

  • kangarootoo #118 6 years ago

    @alan_t

    Umm, yes it would. Or more specifically to the same degree by some that the previous image would be (something that is clearly still unresolved). Maybe not by you, but thats hardly the whole point is it. :D

    @Teeth

    Cheers, though I only got the one of the woman on a screen that is sometimes all white and sometimes half white, half black. I'll try and find the rest of them.

    I will say though, the screen that I described seemed an offshoot of the original image in discussion. Which kind of brings me back to my cynical thought that the other images were created to defend the known controversial image that was the basis of the campaign. Again, maybe I'm being over sensitive, but I never to like to actually fully make up my mind and close door on subjective stuff like this.....

  • SNK #119 6 years ago

    why not try and sell it on the breadth and quality of games available for the syst....

    oh...

    Sarcasm aside, they could do that well but those are billboards in question. The commercials can use a direct, sensical direction like the one you described. Particularly that there are a number of good games on the horizon like MGS PO, Tekken DR etc.

  • kangarootoo #120 6 years ago

    @gaselite

    I agree absolutely, but the advert introduces direct conflict. So they are not simply depicting a scene of different and interesting people.

    The people in the photo are fighting (or more specifically, one is attacking and the other is baying), which is not the simple depiction you are describing.

  • gaselite #121 6 years ago

    @kangarootoo

    Yes but the use of black and white people in conflict merely extends as an analogy of the product, I don't really think it's racially motivated, they're just using exaggerated skin colour (the models are made up and lit to emphasise the colours) to convey the fight for your attention between the black psp and the white psp, which is what I'm sure Sony's marketing department were after when they came up with these ads

    Also, as has been mentioned already, the ads are part of a series which shows the black woman in a position of power.

    I just think it's a big load of fuss over nothing. Let's try and stop actual racially motivated violence, not this crap.

  • bauhaus #122 6 years ago

    Of course an advert can be art

    The photographer, faced with a brief from a client, still strives for an artistic statement/vision

    What is art?!? I allways thought Art was the Expression of Emotion, most advertising is trying to peddle the goods by either association with an emotion or by something aspirational (on an emotional level)

    Art is whatever anyone says art is. an unmade bed can be art, pile of bricks, badly drawn sunflower whatever you like.

    I suppose you think Photography is not Art, or modern art is not art.

    Reducing an Artist some someone who records what they see really is missing the whole point of Art. Ad execs USE art
    Edited by 1 at 05/07/06 @ 18:33

  • Walshicus #123 6 years ago

    Art has been cheapened by rubbish like this, rubbish like 90% of what gets labeled post-modern. Pretentious self-described social "élites" pushing meaningless drivel trying to convince sane individuals they should see past the unmade bed and see a message that simply isn't there.

  • Teeth #124 6 years ago

    It's categorically not art, though. It's an advert. The question of whether or not it cheapens modern art is not a meaningful question.

  • Arwin #125 6 years ago

    What sad isn't that this kind of campaign can be run in the Netherlands, but that it can't be in some other countries.

    Nothing wrong with this ad, except maybe it's 80s look ... but then I'm probably one of the very few who got enough of the 80s back in the 80s, as the 80s are and have been in, hip, happenin', the shiznits, for a few years by now.

    And if you remember (do you?), the whole black and white theme was totally and utterly it back then also. People would wear black and white, decorate their rooms black and white, and so on.

    So I daresay the ad is clever on quite a few levels.

  • bauhaus #126 6 years ago

    The unmade bed is indeed shite I`ll admit, but for once usefull in this debate at least

  • Mashum #127 6 years ago

    ---
    Some people are black, and some people are white.

    Depicting this is not racist.
    ---

    Spot on :) I don't want the media to be censored by endless debates about what some people just might think (within reason of course). These ads are not incitement to racial hatred.
    Edited by 1 at 05/07/06 @ 18:39

  • kangarootoo #128 6 years ago

    "These ads are not incitement to racial hatred."

    I'm not sure anyone claimed this ad to be an incitement. Though I don't think that claim can be made either way without something in the way of research or evidence.

    Regardless, in the absence of an incitement to racial hatred, is the use of a racist image (which this may or not be) in your ad campaign still an OK thing?

    Like I said before, this ad is way more than simply a depiction of two poeple, one black the other white. It is the very apparent conflict that sets it apart in that way. That conflict is being presented with the knowledge of the controversy it will cause I am sure. And frankly, there are many people out there who will find the ad upsetting. Should we just tell them to "cheer up"?

    Plus, to address a specific point, I have never yet come across a debate that in itself was censorship. By its very definition, I don't think debate CAN be censorship. Surely it can only be subject to it.

    The easy statement is "debate is good, censorship is bad", but the real world isn't that simple and neither are people's motives. I'm sure advertising agencies dance a jig every time someone says "censorship is bad", but you and I both know they aren't dancing because they give a f*ck about our freedom of speech.

    If this was proper art I would suggest it not be subject to the same rules. But is not, its an ad designed to sell product.
    Edited by 2 at 05/07/06 @ 18:54

  • TheChojin #129 6 years ago

    That is the most racist thing I've EVER seen , I'd expect nothing less from Sony...DIS-GUSTING , DOWN WITH PSP!

  • Dr_Fripp #130 6 years ago

    Coming from the country where these ads are shown - the same country where a certain company has banned the name of their product "negro-kisses" (a name that everyone here has used since the birth of jesus christ) and replaced it with "kisses" (all of this in Dutch of course) just because of a few complaints - I would say the only source of racism comes from the guys actually classifying this as racism. If people would just leave their bullshit at the door when they go outside of their house, I'm sure that would even help tone *down* the racism at places.

    So I vote for shooting these whiners. Cap 'em in dat ass.

  • Redeye #131 6 years ago

    "Molyneux declares Black & White not coming to PSP due to potential shitstorm and subsequent end-of-world." ;)

    As for the advert, they're both mingers.


  • Mashum #132 6 years ago

    'roo

    With respect, I think you misunderstand me for the purpose of an excuse to rant. By "I don't want the media to be censored by endless debates " I mean more explicitly "I don't want the media to be censored by [the results of] endless debates". Debate is fine of course - viva debate! :)

    I would say that this ad is not an incitement to racial hatred, compared to lets say, a BMP rally today or german cartoons dehumanising the Jews during the lead up to WWII (or the allied nation's cartoons dehumanising germans for that matter). That is of course just an opinion and in my opinion if there is no incitement and no harm then there is no good reason to censor.

    It might upset some people it might not, I would like to hear from anyone who feels attacked or harmed by these ads and would be interested in what they have to say.

  • manic_mouse #133 6 years ago

    " "Molyneux declares Black & White not coming to PSP due to potential shitstorm and subsequent end-of-world." ;)

    I was just about to go into how Black and White, the game, is much more racist than these ads since it clearly states in the game that white = good and black = bad. But you beat me to it :(

    I hope you all think Rocky is in bad taste too, since it depicts two people of different colours fighting.

  • TheChojin #134 6 years ago

    Nah Rocky's ok as racism was allowed in them days.

  • Walshicus #135 6 years ago

    Black and White doesn't associate Africans or Europeans with either, thus it has no racial connotation. This advert makes a logical connect between Africans, Europeans and conflict.

  • manic_mouse #136 6 years ago

    "This advert makes a logical connect between Africans, Europeans and conflict."

    And where in the advert does it say where each of the people come from? The black woman could be from France while the white woman from South Africa for all we know.

    The advert says no such thing and makes no such connections. They are two (attractive) people that are fighting for your attention, one is black and one is white. In some posters the white person has the upper hand, in others it's the black person. It's advertising a product that comes in black and white.

    I really don't see the problem. Had one of the posters with the black person in dominance been shown with this article you would all be saying how rediculous it is that people think it's racist.
    Edited by 3 at 05/07/06 @ 19:45

  • dr_faulk #137 6 years ago

    hmmm, and people thought Nintendo calling their machine "Wii" was a stupid campaign...

  • yagisencho #138 6 years ago

    From Sony's perspective, people are talking about their advertisement, and ergo their product. Whether they meant it to be racist or not or whether you feel it is or not, they did intend to push our buttons. Success.

    Still don't want a PSP though.
    Edited by 1 at 05/07/06 @ 20:12

  • toy_brain #139 6 years ago

    I skipped part of this thread, so apologies if someone else has already posted this.

    It is possible that the advertising company was trying to get across, not just the message that a new white PSP is available, but also show that people of all races can enjoy competative multiplayer gaming on it - hence the 'conflict' between the two lovely ladies. (and sex sells so there had to be some of that in there too).

    But instead of looking all lovely and liberal and inclusive, it came off as odd, racist and generally a bit wierd.

    Sony should go back to the advertisers and ask for a refund.

  • Les #140 6 years ago

    Of course the add isn't meant to be racist: the new colour challenges the old colour. The fact that some people feel this add is racist is their problem. And as bad publicity is still publicity, I don't think Sony will mind the controversy.

  • #141 6 years ago

    "Of course the add isn't meant to be racist: the new colour challenges the old colour."

    New colour challenging Old colour? Maybe.
    But why did they choose to show a white woman as the "new colour" and a black woman as the "old colour"? Wasn't there any other way to show that?

    Edit: I'm not saying they meant to be racist, but this wasn't the best way to do it.
    Edited by 1 at 05/07/06 @ 21:14

  • sonsonate #142 6 years ago

    It may not be offensive to 90% of you in here, but, to me, as a black/hispanic, it is! Here in the US, minorities have fought (and are still fighting) for their civil rights -- and it wasn't exactly a walk in the park. The amount of violence that has been wrought over this issue is mindblowing.

    In my opinion, they are fighting for supremacy. And clearly, one is winning.

    And oh, this appears to be a white supremacy advert, not a stupid advert for two different color PSPs. All they have to add to this to make it complete (as a supremacy advert) is the subtitle: Die, stupid black bitch.

    I haven't seen the other advert's pic, but, they really could have produced and ad that didn't have the "races" fighting each other -- haven't we done that enough??

    While I agree that we should move beyond this "race" thing, adverts like these are made to stir up controversy and emotions of the bad sort; they aren't helping us to move beyond the issue of race if they are here fighting for supremacy, are they?

    EDIT: Why couldn't they have them kissing and ask people to vote as to which is the better kisser? Hahah, really!
    Edited by 1 at 05/07/06 @ 21:19

  • geek-chic #143 6 years ago

    Looks like Sony are taking heed to Rockstar: Controversy is good.

  • bauhaus #144 6 years ago

    Where does it say Supremacy?

    People are surely reading that in becuase they choose to

    They could be fighting for *your* attention

  • Les #145 6 years ago

    exactly

  • Stickman #146 6 years ago

    "But why did they choose to show a white woman as the "new colour" and a black woman as the "old colour"? "

    o_O

    Seriously?

  • Nause #147 6 years ago

    I'm white and have a black psp.... is that allowed ?

  • TheChojin #148 6 years ago

    Nause that just makes you a blatent wigga, shame on you homez.

  • kangarootoo #149 6 years ago

    @gaselite

    Sorry dude, missed your response there. Didn't mean to just skip past it.

    "to convey the fight for your attention between the black psp and the white psp, which is what I'm sure Sony's marketing department were after when they came up with these ads"

    Thats what I feel most unsure of though. I'd be very surprised indeed if the marketing agency didn't know exactly what they were doing in this case. The discussion that we are all involved in right now was surely part of the plan. I just find it unfortunate that agencies will sell of the back of things that DO cause upset to some people.

    I'm sure there were better ways to advertise the new PSP colour. And if we view the ad as you suggest, controversey removed, the ad sucks! Without any controversey its just two pretty models fighting over which PSP colour is best, hardly likely to shift many PSPs is it.

    Thats my issue in all of this. This advert was not naively created by accident. It was meant to annoy people, it was meant to bring issues to mind that are serious and upsetting. All in the name of bigger profits. If this image was in an art gallery I wouldn't be coming down on it so had, because as art it would stimulate discussion on what it makes the viewer feel.

    In this case, the agency don't care what it makes you feel so long as it sells units, and if it makes you feel bad then thats tough, so long as it sells units. Thats what disappoints me.

  • bauhaus #150 6 years ago

    Kangarootoo - "because as art it would stimulate discussion on what it makes the viewer feel. "

    As an advert its done just that!

  • Walshicus #151 6 years ago

    "This advert makes a logical connect between Africans, Europeans and conflict."

    And where in the advert does it say where each of the people come from? The black woman could be from France while the white woman from South Africa for all we know.

    White or Causcasoid people come from Europe and the west of India. Black or Negroid people come from Africa. I was using African and European in a racial sense, not a birthplace sense.

  • Vin #152 6 years ago

    Holy shitballs.

    How mature society has become, eh?

  • #153 6 years ago

    @Walshicus

    People who have read your comments, know what you mean. If some people actually took time and read the actual comments, the number of posts on this thread would be way less than 150+! Some people just come on to find something to criticise rather than simply letting others know what they think. Anyway good night...

  • tenma #154 6 years ago

    Some of the responses here, not just denying that Sony intended the ads to be racist but also denying that the ad has any racist undertones are just ridiculous. Given how many ways the white PSP's contrast against the black PSP could be compared and given how many different techniques that they could have used, the fact that they decided to use race as the main difference is just a fumble on Sony's part.

    You can cry that we're getting politically correct to the high heavens but if you can't even grasp how such an ad could come off as racist, replete with a clearly caucasian woman asserting superiority over an exaggerated black woman (complete with nappy hair, lack of expressive individuality, and ludicrously black skin) then you're just sad. Who cares whether the black woman may be from France and the white woman from South Africa - the point is that there is such a clear divide, not only between the significance of black and white, but the racial significance between black and white as it harkens back to the days of slavery and general oppression.

    All I can ask is why not at least have the black woman show as much individuality and agency as the white PSP. Is there something inherently superior about the white PSP that requires the manhandling in the ad? Regardless of how you spin it, one of these women is considered glamorous by fashion standards while the other is not and Sony should have had more common sense before deciding to use it. And, again, why an all black manifestation of a PSP - even as a black woman - has to have that particular hairstyle and be so blatantly subservient to a white PSP is unbeknownst to me.

    The arguments that "it's just an image depicting two women", "some people are black, some are white" and "Had it been a black woman dominating a white woman, wouuld it be racist?" are just missing the point entirely. Images are just images until the human mind interprets them. This ad would not be polemic had there not been a point in time where, oh i dunno, slavery existed. If you want to interpret the image as a robot, then the aforementioned arguments hold up but if you approach the ad with a historical perspective and understand an image's ability to reference the past, then you can understand why it's being labeled asa racist.

    Again, I doubt Sony was intentionally trying to be racist but I don't doubt that they were trying to be polemic. Sony can be stupid when it comes to the advertising decisious and this is just another misstep on their part. As a black person, I'm not offended by it but that doesn't mean that I'm blind to seeing how it may be offensive to others. Replying with one line comments like "Oh FFS!" are just sidestepping the issue entirely.

  • Krun #155 6 years ago

    If it walks looks a Duck
    and talks like a Duck
    it is a Duck, even if its a duck selling a games console.

    @drumbaby & JediMasterMalik and all the other "it's political correctness gone made" bridaged

    If it was the other way round it would also be racist.

    The ad promotes an idea that one person is better than a another person based only on their colour. You have trouble coming up with a more clear image than that ad to illustrate that racist idea.

    If you made your company logo looked just like a swastika, people would rightly question your ideals, and would assume you supported the ideals of the far right.
    making ads that look like far right propagande does exactly the same thing.

  • Talha #156 6 years ago

    Well, to me it looks racist - there is no two ways about it. Sony should be ashamed of themselves. Why does the white woman have to grab the jaw of the black one?

    Couldn't they be standing side by side, with the message "Life in Colour' or something??? Or they could even be shown fighting, with the message 'Choose your colour" - I mean, is the Ceramic White version supposed to be replacing or superceding the black version in any way? The message, whatever it was meant to be, comes accross as racist.

  • tenma #157 6 years ago

    After seeing some of the <a href=http://www.joystiq.com/media/2006/07/sony_whit eiscoming_web_3a.jpg>other</a> photos in the series, I don't feel as enraged by the photo in discussion. However, I still do feel that they took a bad route in comparing both the PSPs or executing the theme of a challenge between the two. Regardless of who's dominating who in each of the ads, the theme of racial superiority still ends up shining through for me.

  • kangarootoo #158 6 years ago

    The last few posts really struck a chord with me. I was starting to think I was really losing pespective and ranting on the sake of it. I'll bow out now as I'm sure people are bored of reading/skipping past my stuff, which was getting increasingly bitty. Thanks to the last few posters for concisely summing up.

  • kangarootoo #159 6 years ago

    I learned a new word, polemic. \o/

  • Kafeen #160 6 years ago

    They should ship Loco Roco with it and really kick up a fuss.

  • Stickman #161 6 years ago

    People really should look at all the images and read all the comments before launching into a big tirade.

  • chronom4n #162 6 years ago

    Has anyone out there been on the end of racism? whether you are a white person experiencing racism from a black person, or a black person experiencing racism from a white person, or discrimination within cultures, this image can in the mind of the viewer create insecurities. Personally i have no real issue with the images, but one has to empathise with the negative images possibly created by this poster. I for one have a problem albeit a minor problem with the wording of the ad. All sony wanted to create was an advert that would have made people aware that there is more than one colour of psp, but instead they have caused more than just that. What does frustrate me more than anything else is that of all the minds that create images could they not have anticipated that there are some people who would find these images offensive. Haas anyone ever done a risk assesment at work. Then you will know what i am getting at. Or is it that some of the sony creative employees knew that these images will cause problems?
    Edited by 1 at 06/07/06 @ 11:53

  • #163 6 years ago

    The problem here is not the ad. People are the big problem.

    Everybody has something to say.

  • Kami #164 6 years ago

    Personally, I would have had them standing together, back to each other, giving off some attitude, with the slogan, "Beauty In Black And White".

    It would have been a far more glamourous and actually rather more tasteful and empowering ad campaign than this one.

  • Talha #165 6 years ago

    @Kami: You nicked my idea. I won't share the royalties, OK?

  • Les #166 6 years ago

    "What does frustrate me more than anything else is that of all the minds that create images could they not have anticipated that there are some people who would find these images offensive. Haas anyone ever done a risk assesment at work. Then you will know what i am getting at. Or is it that some of the sony creative employees knew that these images will cause problems?"

    Of course they anticipated that some people might have problems with it, but should that have stopped them? They didn't see it as racist, it's not meant that way and that, in my view, is what counts.
    Marketing probably did a risk assesment and they thought the risk to be acceptable. And given the relatively small controversy, they did their job well.

  • Talha #167 6 years ago

    I can't see how they didn't see a problem. Black PSP = black woman. White PSP = white woman. They clearly MEANT it, and though I agree that the ad merely shows conflict rather than dominance of one over the other, it is hard NOT to see racist undertones in the ad.

    I repeat that they could have shown harmonious coexistence with an attitude, but then, they're Sony right?

  • mono_eric3 #168 6 years ago

    "The key facts of the matter are this: It don't matter if PSP is black or white. It's still shit and hasn't got any games"

    UKR to the rescue :D

  • chronom4n #169 6 years ago

    sure you do the risk assesment and in my opinion you decided not to go through with it for the sake of damage limitation. You come up with another avenue in which to go through with the project. Now sony should have thought of that and acted upon it without offending a group(s) of people. But then again More people will now be aware of the product and that is down to this advert. job done.

  • Kami #170 6 years ago

    @Talha

    I'm more artistic anyway. And it's public domain now, the idea, so *raspberries*

  • Krun #171 6 years ago

    @ chronom4n
    "... But then again More people will now be aware of the product and that is down to this advert. job done."

    Trouble with that is I will never buy a sony product ever again.

  • tenma #172 6 years ago

    "Trouble with that is I will never buy a sony product ever again."

    I don't fall into the same boat, but I can definitely see where you're coming from. Between a lot of their advertising fuck-ups, an even greater amount of hyperbole coming from kuturagi's mouth this year, and a lot of the apologies / damage control they've been making about both their poorly thought out ads and marketing strategies, they're definitely on the backburner for me.

  • Les #173 6 years ago

    "Trouble with that is I will never buy a sony product ever again."

    I bet the two of you that feel that way won't really bother Sony...

    You know Sony is not a racist company (they are an Asian company, why would they preach white dominance?!) and they weren't out to offend you. So why should you feel offended?

  • crackers #174 6 years ago

    Well I think it's a pitty that SONY's CEO since March 2005 is an American (British born) and the board now consists of many Americans and Europeans and yet ever since the hand over from Idei to Howard Stringer the company has created controversial ads on the metro (Take a running jump here) and now this. I think SONY should think about changing its CEO. Really odd that none of the management even thought about stopping this ad.

  • Teeth #175 6 years ago

    Wha'choo talkin' 'bout, cracka!?