Well if this ad isn’t a blatant attempt at marketing via controversy, I’ll eat my hat.
Methinks racism is far too sensitive a subject for a multi-million dollar company like Sony to use for marketing purposes.
I’m intelligent enough to know that this is just a marketing ploy, but we all know that there are those out there, who wouldn’t get wet if it was raining brain cells.
I’m sure this will cause a major furore throughout the world, with liberal lefties seeking to ban the ads, thus making the campaign a success, but why oh why, did Sony have to go there? Tut, tut.
Jane
July 7
9:23 pm
I don’t know that I get the racism thing. The Sony portable is currently black. I get that Sony is producing one in white. Wouldn’t it be like when the IPOD rolled out in colors?
Karen Scott
July 7
9:45 pm
Jane, they have a white woman, towering over a black woman, agressively holding her chin. Black woman is in a submissive position, and the white woman is clearly the dominant figure here. Trust me, a lot of black folks out there will see one thing and one thing only. Racial inequality.
They could have used a million different things to promote the product, but they chose this. An example of corporate manipulation at its best.
Indida
July 7
9:56 pm
Jesus, they are idiots. But it will work.
Jane, forget the words on the left. Look at the models. Their posturing, their expressions, even their clothing. That’s what a lot of people will focus on.
Karen, you are definitely right. I think they want the backlash and all the attention that comes with it. Everyone will be looking.
They can make a big show of retracting the ad and showcase a new one, bringing even more attention to their new product.
byrdloves2read
July 7
11:15 pm
Ick. That advert makes me cringe. It would make me cringe no matter what color the people were, but the white/black dominant thing is smarmy.
Bam
July 7
11:16 pm
Sony is owned by Asian people. What do we care? I’m kidding, I’m kidding.
Seriously, I think my black Playstation is more stylish.
Jane
July 8
1:00 am
I honestly couldn’t see the black woman in the picture! I blame it on my computer resolution. I get it now. *slinking off in shame*
Celeste
July 8
3:53 am
That ad is sickening. I’m a liberal leftie white chick, and Sony can kiss my ass from now on.
Stacy~
July 8
4:25 am
What a horrible ad. Indida, I agree with you – it’s gonna get the attention they want, so what do they care what it looks like? Their work is done, and I feel just sick about it.
Desiree Erotique
July 8
6:39 am
This is as bad as the Abstinence advocates here in my town who put up a big ugly billboard with the words WHITE IS RIGHT… they were referring to a wedding dress (small picture of girl in wedding gown way down in the corner). The real messages in these campaigns are too easily lost in hype relying on controversy and in some cases, downright racism. Just like those pro-abstinence nuts, Sony should be ashamed.
Barbara B.
July 8
12:45 pm
OMG! If I wasn’t looking at this I just wouldn’t believe it. People are gonna go fucking nuts about this one. At first I didn’t see the black woman either but already I wasn’t liking the ad. I’m forced to use a phrase I despise but this is very racially insensitive and provocative. No doubt intentionally so. I know this and yet on a visceral level I feel a little rage anyway. This is a very cheap and ugly way to generate buzz. Sony can kiss by BLACK ass.
Kate R
July 8
3:50 pm
I’m a leftie type and my main response isn’t anger because I think that’s what they’re aiming for and I won’t be manipulated by the likes of THEM. It’s interesting because it’s so OBVIOUS. What on earth were they thinking? Huh?
Sure it’ll get people talking, but do they really want their brand name tied up in that kind of talk?
I wonder what reaction would have been like if the women were dancing or maybe kissing? Or if they were both buff men wrestling/making love or a hetero couple or. . .
so many options to mess with if you’re messing with the whole race concept. Why this one? Weirdass brains on their ad board.
Lori
July 8
6:36 pm
*gasp* What an awful ad. And people wonder why there are still “race issues” going on in today’s world. Wow. Just wow.
Wendy
July 8
7:45 pm
Just because it’s a marketting ploy doesn’t mean it’s not in extremely bad taste. I have no issue with the wording of the ad – but the posturing of the models is so incredily wrong it boggles my mind.
Kristie (J)
July 9
3:59 am
That is just so wrong in so many ways it’s really beyond words. One can only hope someone, somewhere comes to their senses because it’s hard to believe it really made it that far.
Dawn
July 9
7:45 am
Stunned!
Marianne LaCroix
July 9
10:14 pm
Simply said, it is in poor taste.
Monica
July 10
6:00 pm
It’s a funky ad. They should have least released one with a Playstation in black and a black chick intimidating the white women.
Wonder how that would go over on billboards?
Fickle Fiona
July 15
1:05 am
Are you sure it’s a black woman? It looks like a guy to me. A band geek kind of guy. So does that change the tone of the ad?
LSB Author, Darragha Foster
July 29
6:37 pm
Where is this ad being shown? In Europe? In Asia? I’m guessing that anywhere but in the USA it would cause much less of a stir. I think it’s clever as hell, but something I would never subscribe to.
I’ve been perusing various Kajira and BD sites just to broaden my perspective on the subject and alas, I continue to be of the opinion that no person should be master over another. The ad is not to my liking.