Some of you may remember when Sony seemingly tried to scare us into wanting to buy the PlayStation 3. And not even the "buy this console, or else" kind of scare. We're talking full-on goosebumps, cold sweat, and insomnia kind of spooky.
This ad is actually one of several unsettling campaigns from Sony. One of our personal favorites is this one directed by David Lynch (yes, that David Lynch).
On the polar opposite end of the spectrum, there's Sony's "portable nut" campaign for its first-ever handheld, the PSP. It's a rare mix of obnoxious and nonsensical and the worst part of the ad is that it was actually kind of effective. What we wouldn't give to delete this ad campaign from the old mind palace.
Somewhere, during an ad agency brainstorm circa 2006 a team of admen (and we say "men" here for a reason) decided that the adage "sex sells" should also apply to Sony's marketing efforts for the PlayStation 2. Thus, multiple ads featuring "porn stars" were born. See also: golfers vs porn stars in this mind-boggling nature documentary spoof.
There's actually plenty to love about this early PlayStation One ad. Its blown out, static-y visuals and cuts full of discordant background noise give the whole thing a sort of punk-ish vibe that no doubt set it apart from other game companies. But (no pun intended) it's the narration that earns this ad a spot on the list.
“Whilst the images used in the campaign were intended solely to highlight the contrast between the different colors available for the PSP, we recognize that the subject matter of one specific image may have caused concern in some countries not directly affected by the advertisement.”
Sony Computer Entertainment of Europe, 2006