Sony’s Racist PSP Advertising
Sony’s currently under fire for its PSP advertisments, which introduce the new White PSP by showing a white woman gripping a black woman by the jaw with the slogan “Playstation Portable White is Coming.” These advertisements were placed in the Netherlands. Instead of apologizing for its advertising blunder, Sony steadfastly defends its right to advertise in this manner. A Sony spokesperson said that, “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.” Also, “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.” With possible racist undertones, it would be advisable for Sony to more carefully choose its way of marketing the arrival of the white PSP in the US and the rest of Europe. Some of the other advertising photos are shown below.
This entry was posted on Thursday, July 6th, 2006 at 2:59 pm and is tagged with advertising photos, playstation portable, psps, marketing campaign, advertisments, white woman, undertones, blunder, black woman, benelux, launch, spokesperson, slogan, psp, colours, advertisements, playstation, sony, netherlands, europe. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback.
28 Responses to 'Sony’s Racist PSP Advertising'
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on July 9th, 2006 at 7:07 pm
[…] you can read about the racist-as-hell PSP billboards all over the web, and the “evil, flying little sambos” game is no breaking news either, at this point. i tried like hell to muster up a good rant about how shamefully racist japanese people can be, but every time i tried it wound up more bashing the lame ass suburban white kids who think that japan is perfect, and that everyplace else is fucked up and wrong. i mean, this is the culture of the national “school girl rape” fetish and tentacle porn, for christsake. not to mention that people there still preform in blackface, and just so happen to hate outsiders trying to fit in even more than the french. […]
on July 11th, 2006 at 10:59 am
The nigger needs to go. =/
on July 11th, 2006 at 11:03 am
I think such advertisment is not a problem at all. The people who feel offended by it first have to grow up. Everyone knows it is PSP related and has nothing to do with racism etc.
In Holland, where I live, they have forbidden the name “negerzoen”.. some sort of sweetness with chocolate begin this year. In english it’s called a Niggers Kiss. People from Suriname and Holland called it negerzoen for hundreds of years. Even the black people thought it was insane to change this sweet chocolate its name..
on July 11th, 2006 at 12:27 pm
In Sweden we have a few things (mostly smaller bakerycandy) named something with “neger” all those things usualy have other names too but sometimes people go with those names with neger.
just yesterday I read in the paper about someone who complained about a cafe being racistic just becouse of that, they where rejected, goverment said it was too trivilant.
as you said rxbbx, your damn right they need to grow up, I don’t think the post is racist, people going out at night’s killing black people or similar things is racist, but in my opinion this is not!
on July 11th, 2006 at 12:50 pm
Still, the people who do get offended may in fact be black themselves. And therefor, if Sony doesn’t watch their backs, they will be sued or probably the main worker be beaten…
on July 13th, 2006 at 3:37 am
I do find it odd that Sony chose this advertisement for a different country….Maybe they knew it would never fly here in the states. And I do believe their sales here will be affected by the ads.
on July 13th, 2006 at 8:21 am
in portuguese….
acho q vcs sao todos uns babacas achar q isso eh racismo
pois naum tem nada a ver…
entao despeça a modelo negra e manda ela pra casa sem emprego..
pq um monte de gente naum quer que ela participe do outdoor senaum eh considerado racismo ….
isso que vcs estao fazendo sim eh racismo que estao tirando os direitos de uma pessoa de participar de algo…
on July 13th, 2006 at 2:44 pm
Yes, there are no racist overtones in the recent PSP ads. They should put it up in the states just to piss people off.
on July 13th, 2006 at 4:38 pm
i dont see the problem….. the commercial is even cool in my opinion, and i dont even like the psp. The dutch peepz are openminded more then everybody so let them ,…props2dutch
on July 13th, 2006 at 5:07 pm
well i think it all depends on the person how many of you who say that ppl who are offended should grow up are actually black and have experienced racism? im willing to bet none of you of course it will offend ppl but hey not like you care about black ppl
on July 15th, 2006 at 12:02 am
I think that godson is the only person that is sensitive and open-minded 2 the opposing side of the argument. Comercial ads are a work of art, and they aren’t meant to be taken completely literally, but interpreted. I’m black and I was offended by the add because I’ve experienced this ad in real life. And my interpretation of the first image it is that the black girl is weak and submissive , and the white girl is more powerful. I don’t know about o/ countries, but for the U.S., this ad is just an honest depiction of American society and how life really is for most blacks; which is that most whites have the upper hand on the average black person.(which is why the add will probably never air in the states) But because Sony is just being “innocently ” honest, doesn’t mean they’re in the right
on July 15th, 2006 at 6:55 am
This racism shit is out of hand. Are you a racist? Probably not. Is your neighbor a racist? Probably not. Do you know anyone who is for sure a racist? Probably not. WTF? It’s like what my momma used to tell me, and I think all our racist policy-makers ought to get the memo: “IF YOU KEEP PICKING AT IT, IT WON’T HEAL!”
on July 18th, 2006 at 9:38 am
To tell the truth, I thought it was more sexual than racist. What they should have done instead is make the background lighter so you could see the black model more clearly, that would have been more hott. Or have them both grip each others faces at the same time. I didn’t think about the racist connotations until my friend (who is black) mentioned it.
I guess perspectives….
on July 18th, 2006 at 1:19 pm
* This add is has major racist undertones. If you can’t see them, you’ve probably never experienced racism or understand the history between blacks and whites. —————————————— Just look at the 1st ad where the black woman is lowered into submission by the white lady. it reminds a lot of us of the old Jim Crow days & slave days… think about it. Sony knew just what they were doing. Controversy=Sales…hmmm
on July 18th, 2006 at 1:20 pm
This add is has major racist undertones. If you can’t see them, you’ve probably never experienced racism or understand the history between blacks and whites. —————————————— Just look at the 1st ad where the black woman is lowered into submission by the white lady. it reminds a lot of us of the old Jim Crow days & slave days… think about it. Sony knew just what they were doing. Controversy=Sales…hmmm
on July 25th, 2006 at 6:06 am
Psssh. All of Europe is racist anyhow. Notice how they hate the USA football team for having black people? Fuck Europe, who gives a shit about them.
on July 28th, 2006 at 12:13 pm
[…] First, I think it’s essential to listen carefully to feedback. Ideally, you will then reevaluate your campaign and respond appropriately. Depending on each campaign’s unique circumstances, the level of response and adjustment may vary. Ultimately, I think that if you believe in your campaign, you should stand behind it. This does however require common senses, which can easily be taken for granted. […]
on July 31st, 2006 at 7:42 pm
i don;t see the adverts as being particularly offensive because i am seeing them as part of a news report saying that they have been deemed as offensive and have already been pulled. However, if i were to encounter these images in the everyday i would find myself reading into the semiotic signifiers present in the ads.
Certain things seem interesting 1. the stark use of white and black with the black fading into the background 2. the position of dominance given to the white model- taller,grimace on her face, body facing the camera with clothes openly illustrating a sexuality 3. the way she is holding the black models face, again signifying dominance and power 5. the fact that the white models clothes are more contemporary and the black models clothes being influenced by a vintage of the 19th century.
Not to say my eye is neccessarily highly “trained” but these referents may not be immediately apparent to the regualar consumer, so does it matter?
The answer to that question is unfourtunately, yes. Advertisers play a dangerous game of IMPLICITLY dabbling in the conflicts and triggers of culture and society. seekzero said it “IF DON;T PICK IT , IT WON;T HEAL” well advertisers will not let any genralisation, objectification or social bigotry rest as they continue to bombard their audience with the inferences that respond to their base thoughts. This is not to say that the base thought is racism, as this would be propostrous, but the base thought of racial dominance, which is not a lie, and the advert displays how that has been acomplished, by force.
It is very emblematic of the society in which we live…what comes first and sets precedent is overcome by those willing to gain status by force.
To believe that is reading too deep into it is to not know that most advertisers and marketers are literature, sociology, media and philosphy graduates fully aware of the works of Gramsci, Dyer ,and Hall into the structures and power struggles in our society and the referents of this histroical psychology.
An image is not a pragmatic holistic message but a meaningful collage of symbolic elements..
on July 31st, 2006 at 7:44 pm
sorry seekzero said “IF YOU KEEP PICKING IT, IT WON;T HEAL”
on September 25th, 2006 at 10:22 pm
People need to stop bitching about racism and grow the hell up. It exists, yes, but stop beating a dead horse and trying to get sympathy from others with every damn thing that upsets you. [Not directed towards anyone in particular, just these idiotic people who cry about racism over stupid stuff.]
Also, the guy who posted the racist stuff about japan is a jerk. Stfu.
on October 20th, 2006 at 8:43 am
I agree with Kittypie….yes, racism exists is not a very nice thing, but obsessing about it isn’t gomma help. Also, you often find that the minorities are more racist towards whites (nowadays that is) than the other way round, but u don’t see us going on about it. This advert is about the colours of Psps….so what the hell is everyone going on about?! Are they going to ban the colours / tones black and white so as not to offend anyone…I don’t think so…get over it!
on October 27th, 2006 at 11:32 am
Well, yet another thing for blacks to get heated up about and for white people to defend. Although understandable, i feel it’s unfair to call the advert ‘racist’ as it does actually feature a ‘person of colour.’
Maybe i would find it racist if i was to learn that the black woman was paid less or indeed not paid at all.
Never attribute to malice that which one can simply explain as stupidity.
I would recommend that more people started reading the adventures of Huey and Riley Freeman and Co in the BOONDOCKS and focus on the real issues of racism in the world.
When Lenny Kravity released the video to the single Black Velveteen, where were the cries of racism then.
We so-called blacks have to realise that racism only exist after Ignorance and Prejudice.
one love.
on October 28th, 2006 at 7:20 am
i think the above letter makes a very good point but we also have to admit that we as black people have a lot of racism amongst ourselves…. although this might be attributed to a slave mentality.
Christianity has also helped to keep the flames of racism burning in our mind but the churches are never picketed.
There are many examples of black on black crime that the media doesnt even bother to mention cos its quite okay for negroes and blacks to kill each other….. its almost a fashion.
look at what has been and still is going on in Africa*
on December 4th, 2006 at 12:30 am
[…] Since this is marketed at an all-Chinese audience, my guess is the advertising firm simply ripped off the WTC rubble images without thinking about a possible emotional connection. This isn’t “disruptive advertising” like Microsoft’s Zune Orgasm, or Sony’s Racially Charged PSP ads. It’s just a bit of overreaction and repurposing. […]
on March 29th, 2007 at 1:04 am
..they knew wtf they was doin….that shit is flat out racist…and its gettin ery1 all stirred up…..its a genious way of marketing it…but very fukked up…
they didnt have to use a black woman with nappy hair…they coulda used the same woman as the white image but made her black….they went out of their way to make sure it was a black woman with nappy hair…yea they knew what the hell they were doing …..and if you think its all innocent then your a BLIND, DUMB, FUKKING FOOL!!!
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