The Ad Is Just The Start

I’ve always said it, if Sony started doing some serious marketing PS3 would be doing a lot better.

Seems like you guys are finally getting it xD

Good job on the ads, I like them.

I like these ads. they are not as bad as the old europe ads for playstation (crying baby?) but still nowhere near as good as the Americans “it only does everything” ads.

Focusing on the features rather than on the brand as the previous campaigns did seems better to appeal people (many factors -like launch price, late launch, available feature on launch, available games at launch, inferior multiplatform games at the beginning, bad communication of key SCE manager around the launch time, -in-explicable internet hate around launch time…- weakened the PS brand appeal and impact)

It remind me of the original playstation launch campaign wich was focused on feature (graphics was the only important feature at the time) and in the same time gave personality to the brand

You guys actually have a marketing department? I only jest, the ads look good i’m looking forward to seeing them on TV

In response to the reply to 76, instead of covering the whole of Europe with the same advertising ‘blanket’, target it to specific audiences.
I understand you’re doing this to a certain extent by mentioning BBC iPlayer in the UK ads (which I believe you should push more, we value the BBC a lot), but that isn’t what I mean.

What I mean though is that as a British person, I loved those US adverts, and humour of that sort would work well in the UK, it’s subtle. If it didn’t have the same effect in another country, then use a different type of advert.

I don’t think it’s wise to assume everyone in Europe will enjoy flying paper cut outs, while being bombarded with lots of information about the PS3 (I didn’t enjoy it, there was too much information and the aesthetics of the advert didn’t appeal to me, compared to the stylish appeal of the XMB).

Each country in Europe has its own culture, and they need to be considered separately. I can understand though that it’s a logistical nightmare, considering you fall under one organisation, SCEE.

I’d be interested to see what you think Mark.

If they don’t get the attention of consumer’s then I don’t think anything can. I see now why Sony never really advertised the PS3 over the last 2 year’s and it was because the PS3 was to high priced and those ads wouldn’t make a differance for the company. They would have just wasted money.

But now with an affordable price of 300 euros it’s time to let people know your here.

“It only does everything” is better then “The Game is Just the Start”

“It only does everything” ad line basically sells it! How come SCEE did you not us it?

Really like all the new ads from US funny cynical adverts, and japan crazy face adverts too, while the EU ones are flashy and have a really big “punch” to them. I like it

The Adverts are okay and it displays the system in another light, which i think needed more in the past. The only thing i would say is that you can tell that this advert is trying to hit a certain target audience. The voice over is too cool and the music is not great. And i can imagine that there were a group of older guys in a advertising agency trying to talk on a younger “hipper” level. Kind of like when you were young and you had a party and you were dancing then suddenly you see your dad dancing and think oh crumbs..! Trying too hard to be cool is what i’m trying to say!

But i’m sure these will do good only if it just passes on all the great offers and services. The animation is very good, i would just change the voice and sound track. I would have someone like Steven Fry, someone who is British and you trust and the sound track not so annoying…

Sorry but I don’t think it’s getting the point across clearly enough. It’s an arty ad…. great… but who can be bothered figuring it out nowadays. It still doesn’t get the message across in 30 seconds or less.

It needs to tell the ordinary user that the ps3 is your own cinema in HD, (use scene of cinema with yourself, then add friends, family shapes), then it needs to show how using the ps3 games you can be your own hero in your own worlds, fend of the bad guys in modern warfare2, romance and adventure in uncharted 2, a rockstar in guitar hero world tour. Then show how friends can chat online and all for free!

The ads are going in the right direction but still not obvious enough. Hope the next wave of ads show off you controlling heroes in final fantasy, you as the owner and driver of top cars in gran turismo (photo realism hype), and play cheap psn games like zombie kill, car smash, etc…

Ok, so I guess these ads are already basically out there, so our suggestions are water under the bridge.

Anyway, I remember there was a great add for broadband internet, where you see a guy behind a computer, juggling, talking Norwegian about all his hobbies and other stuff he learnt to do recently. He ends changing to Dutch, adding ‘Oh, and I also learnt Norwegian using a home training course’. The joke was that his internet was so slow he had to find all these things to do to wait until the downloads were finished. I thought it was very funny and clever – I think it was aired years ago, and I still remember it today.

Anyway, I still think it would be a good idea to do some form of marketing where you stress the multi-language thing. It’s a definite advantage that the Playstation brand has over the competition, and it includes the benefits of BluRay also: no more lesser quality sound tracks if you watch something in your native language, etc.

Posted on 27 August, 2009 at 6:26 pm by Mark Hardy
Question: A a gamer who knows what they are talking about and does research on whats new etc – are you really influenced by TV ads anyway?… perhaps these ads wernt created for those ‘in the know’ but in fact for those who needed to find out more about what a PS3 can do…

Mark hit the nail on the head with this reply – people that don’t like these ads know the PS3 inside out and research new games on the internet etc. These ads are no aimed at you which is why you can’t relate to them – they are aimed at parents of PS2 owning kids that no nothing of what goes on in their bedroom and are wondering what to get them for Christmas.

One of the ads came on TV this morning and literally the second it started before you even saw the console my mum (who is about as non-tech savvy as you can get!) said to me “look it’s the new PS3″ – job done I would say…

Hang on… so your excuse for not making a funny, engaging advert like the US version, is because you couldn’t translate that humour across europe?

So you put out a rubbish advert, that if it came on the TV, i would just change the channel because the voiceover guy sounds like he’s from hollyoaks, the irritating music and offensive visuals just remind me that good adverts are much harder to come by then pants ones. – And the justification for this is because translating it across all the countries in europe is hard? Please, thats a terrible excuse.

I’ve not even got onto the content, but thats the only part i agree with, i get what you’re doing, you’re broadening your market segment by making the console appealing as a media centre, which lets people know that it’s “more than just a console”. Much like when Blu Ray players were about the same price as a PS3 so people just bought one of those anyway.

But seriously, the EU ads. Are irritating.

Personally this is the best PS3 ad campaign i seen, the performer one last time just made me go what the hell. Even so i would like a saying in the big line-up of exclusive games not just little big planet and eyepet it seems this ad was trying to market the more casual audience. I feel the variety of exclusives games coming is a big plus for PS3 with emotional aspects with heavy rain to visual block buster of uncharted 2, to be fair there will be an ad for that but you can tell what i’m getting at. Market to everyone not just casual. Also while its not just you, why is there hardly gameplay in these ads all of them or that matter from 360 ads to game ads.

Ok the ad campaign is good. But not great.

1st of all constantly saying start is going to [DELETED] everyone off I think. I’m sick of it already after just watching the 4 ads already.

And that is one thing you don’t want to do when your advertising is make people sick of your ads and a lot of companies do that and trust me its a turn off.

My advice keep heading in this direction its definatly the right direction but there is still a long way to go.

I recon you could do well just airing the old american commercials. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAtwp5HmkXo
Every time I watch that ad it makes me want to run out and buy another ps3. If it can do that to me when I already own 1 imagine what it will do to other people.

Ok it does have some out dated stuff in it like the pic of the ps store but when the add aired a lot of the stuff in the vid wasn’t even out if you updated a couple of things like the ps store and change the picture to the ps3 slim and adjust the price I think it would work wonders.

Good luck.

I just saw the new american ad campaign and its better but then it isn’t.

http://blog.us.playstation.com/2009/08/27/it-only-does-every thing/

Like they really push the price and for people to go online but they don’t say exactly what it does. They just says it does everything.

And really it does. I could even cook a steak on mine the temps it gets to.

I still think if you follow in americas footsteps and just localise their campaigns you will do well.

It’s great to see some advertising for the PS3 on UK TV at last as I’m fed up with 360 adverts in every break. Still, I have to say that those US adverts are better, expecially the annoyed girlfriend one.

Humour sells well in these gloomy times. Any meerkat will tell you that. Simples!

@20 answer.

So, for people that already KNOWS ps3 can do “hardcore” stuff Like downloading Wolfestein 3D, decode divx, you’ll tell THEM by The Proper Channels (Internet) ps3 has those features.

The Regular joe seeing TV doesn’t need to know (once and for all) PS3>Wii, huh?.Not yet?

It reminds me of the pristine logic of anty-piracy ads in legally buyed DVD’s- “Oh, no, you didn’t studied marketing sir: people who Bought this movie are the target for this ads”

Now it’s all coming clear.

Oh, by the way, I hate how you guys speculate with dripping info on us, sitting on the information hosepipe until you feel like it.

Good achievement for marketing,getting hatred.Tell Mr.Boita.

Sorry about the negative feedback.

Now, don’t get me wrong, That ad is respectable manwork, but why are the marketing guys always so casual and frivolous? What’s the definition of “sexy stuff”?: The product spinning out of control in a colourful MTV’esque trip of madness and oblique messages like “Share your thingy”,”get in the bloody groove”, “moa lights moa camera”.

can’t you just see we are starving for content?,even if it’s something as technically simple as some PS1 games?

Where will all the yiddyly yaddily doo MTV madness go when users discover they have Tarzan and Populous on the store instead of Resident Evil and MGS?

Signatures needed? I don’t think that’s a problem,
Profitability?, What’s more profitable than a PSOne Digital download? What’s the risk?

Couldn’t you all, as marketing guys, (Acknowledge) get a move on based on some feedback Mr.Kebby has been receiving?

Would you be so kind of putting some pressure on the relevant third parties involved on the most (in)famous list of unreleased games from Sony PS1?

Much better than nothing!

You’re probably trying to say the same as the awesome US commercials: “It Only Does Everything” (That’s a wonderful line – steal it!)

But these EU ads are so obviously, well: advertisements. I never feel involved or even entertained. I never feel the ads have anything to tell me – they just flash by. “Flash” being the operative word here: Start this! Start that! Look at me, I’m a great graphics designer, but I’m trying too hard! Whiz! Bang! Whoosh!

Alternative hypothesis: I’m just not in the target demographic.