Sony ad with racist imagery

[professorpan]

<!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/games/archives/2006/07/05/sony_ad_casues_white_riot.html">blogs.guardian.co.uk/game..._riot.html</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br>Blatant racist imagery to sell PSPs -- racist viral marketing.<br><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Clearly, whatever the justifications, the intention is to be provocative. According to Joystiq, the adverts have been created by TBWA an agency that speciliases in 'disruptive' marketing. From the company's website:<br><br>"Disruption is the art of asking better questions, challenging conventional wisdom and overturning assumptions and prejudices that get in the way of imagining new possibilities and visionary ideas.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--> <p></p><i></i>

[Et in Arcadia ego]

How much black/white friction is there in Amsterdam?<br><br>Interesting comments from the ad creator:<br><br>"Disruption is the art of asking better questions, challenging conventional wisdom and overturning assumptions and prejudices that get in the way of imagining new possibilities and visionary ideas.<br><br>Disruption is a system for people who hate systems. Similar to the concept of open-source software development, Disruption has evolved and matured as communities around the network use, adapt and reinvent Disruption tools for specific market or client needs.<br><br>The methodology and process can be employed universally to answer just about any challenge that a brand or company may have. Disruption is not limited to marketing and communications but can be applied to deeper levels of an organization including products and services or the core business offering. "<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.tbwa.com/index.php/disruption">www.tbwa.com/index.php/disruption</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br>I see the intended effect, I even agree with it to a point, but you have to wonder once you eliminate the clever pseudo-intellectuallism if they're not simply looking to exploit existing tensions rather then make an artsy-fartsy protest against them..<br><br><!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>While</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--> selling someone's products, of course. <p>____________________<br>Oderint, dum metuant</p><i></i>

[friend catcher]

Very little Black white tension in Amsterdam although ther's a noticeable increase in anti muslim racism, of which the assasinated Pim Fortuyn was one of the more visible proponents. His particular brand of racism was that decent gay dope smoking liberals like himself were being swamped by fundies and dutch liberalism was threatened. Amsterdam being a large and long time mercantile city has traditionaly welcomed all races and a quick dip into rembrandt notebooks shows that as being true 400 years ago. No doubt claims of irony and boasts of a sophisticated/aware market audience will be trotted out. Not complacent though and hope Dutch cover the ads in whatever shit comes to hand. <p></p><i></i>

[Attack Ships on Fire]

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>...but you have to wonder once you eliminate the clever pseudo-intellectuallism if they're not simply looking to exploit existing tensions rather then make an artsy-fartsy protest against them..<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>I think you hit the nail on its head.<br><br>Still, some Sony marketing team bungled this campaign. There was better ways to market the white PSP without it making look like a racial fight was about to break out.<br><br><br> <p></p><i></i>

[Sepka]

Advertising is about promoting awareness of the product. I'd say Sony's hit a huge home-run here, if they can put up a billboard in Holland and have much of the world talking about it in days. The interesting thing from my PoV is that everyone else apparently finds it striking, and sees it as referring to racial conflict in some fashion, whereas I don't. I'd have taken little to no notice of it, had I seen it without commentary.<br><br>Why do people perceive the theme of the ad as being racially-derived, rather than as being a personification of the two colours? The 'white' character has pretty obviously been caked in makeup to make her actually white, rather than any normal caucasian skin tone. <br><br>If everyone immediately understands this as racial in nature, why doesn't that same perception extend to, say, Spy vs. Spy? There you have a black and a white character in situations of violent antagonism, yet I've never heard anyone claim that it has a subtext of racial conflict.<br><br>-Sepka the Space Weasel <p></p><i></i>

[thurnandtaxis]

this is pretty uncool as well:<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://filecabi.net/video/racisttooth.html">filecabi.net/video/racisttooth.html</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--> <p></p><i></i>

[dude h homeslice ix]

now see, hugh manatee wins can and should have a field day with this one, no? <p></p><i></i>

[Attack Ships on Fire]

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Why do people perceive the theme of the ad as being racially-derived, rather than as being a personification of the two colours? The 'white' character has pretty obviously been caked in makeup to make her actually white, rather than any normal caucasian skin tone.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>What I see is more of the aggressive posture and manner of the white woman against the black woman. I get the allegory between white/black PSP and white/black women, but what's the aggression supposed to represent? That the white PSP will kick the ass of the black PSP?<br><br>I didn't see an ad campaign for the Xbox 360 kicking the older Xbox in the nuts.<br> <p></p><i></i>

[Hugh Manatee Wins]

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>"Disruption is the art of asking better questions, challenging conventional wisdom and <!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>overturning assumptions and prejudices</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>:rolleyes<br><br>Apparently it takes Ann Coulter-ism to get through the message din so youth with discretionary spending will notice your product.<br><br>There's a video game that has mercenaries attacking Venezuela for its oil and the game company is heavily invested in by a company that Bono is involved with.<br><br>Competitive cruelty in the cause of fascist militarism has been creeping up like a drug that the target audience (kids) grows a tolerance for. <br><br>Eventually, out and out lynching will be what it takes to get kids to react with adrenalin and other stress chemicals.<br><br>Oh! We're already at that point! Shit... <p></p><i></i>

[AlicetheCurious]

The ad is incredibly offensive and scary. There's nothing ambiguous about it, it's a clear racist threat, both in the slogan and in the picture. Whether it's being floated, or exploited, the menace, presented as a promise, should raise everyone's hackles. People of colour, take note. <p></p><i></i>

[AlanStrangis]

I think it's worth pointing out that the PSP ad had other images that reversed the aggressor role. Apparently 100+<br><br><!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://www.joystiq.com/2006/07/04/ad-critic-sonys-racially-charged-psp-ad/">Sony Ads</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--><br><br>Still I'd call it "ill-advised" to say the least. Sony's argument doesn't really hold water either, in that both systems are identical in features, so why would there be competition between the two? <p></p><i></i>

[Sarutama]

I have to admit, I did not take this as racist when I first saw it. I honestly just saw it as contrast. The PSP has a black, and now, a white model, so they have a black and a white model (purposely made to look exceedingly black and exceedingly white) to represent them.<br><br>Everyone seems to talk about the agressiveness of the white woman over the black woman as the proof that this is intended as racist. But, historically, which group has always stereotyped as agressive; black women or white women?<br><br> <p></p><i></i>

[AlicetheCurious]

Hellooo, kindly note that the white woman has a big cross on her cleavage, that she's overpowering the weaker, frightened black woman, and look at the terrified expression in the eyes of the black woman. The slogan: "White is Coming." <br><br>So, what would it take to convince you, Sarutama? Do you need the KKK burning crosses in front of black corpses hanging from trees, and a fist logo with White Power underneath? Or would you still say, "Gee, I didn't see that as necessarily racist," duh? <p></p><i></i>

[Sarutama]

I was just saying, from the perspective of this particular black man, one who, you know has actually experienced some actual racism first hand, this didn't really strike me as particularly racist.<br><br>In the words of George Carlin, calm down - have some dip <p></p><i></i>

[Sarutama]

Why should "White is coming" scare me? White is already here an in charge of everything. THAT scares me.<br><br>I suggest we all stop looking for these instances of racism and start focusing on the real ones (like the military recruiting white supremacists <!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://www.splcenter.org/intel/news/item.jsp?site_area=1&aid=197">www.splcenter.org/intel/news/item.jsp?site_area=1&aid=197</a><!--EZCODE LINK END-->)<br><br>because seriously, if this is the worst racism I have to deal with on a daily basis, then I consider the war on racism fucking over.<br><br> <p></p><i></i>