Could Sony learn a thing or two from MS advertising?

[Speedfreak]

On Saturday evening I was watching the X Factor semi final (the final on Sunday got 20 million viewers according to the Times, so Saturday would have been 15 million or more) and I was amazed by the number of XBox adverts that were shown.

This is the advert order during one commercial break...

Tesco's
XBox 360 - love music, love XBox
Golden Cow
XBox 360 - Stream HD movies instantly on demand
Carphone Warehouse - get a PS3 slim on a £25 a month contract
XBox 360 - watch TV from Sky on the XBox 360
Boots
Argos - XBox 360 + 3 games + extra controller £149.99

So with a captive audience of 15+ million viewers, 2 weeks before Christmas, we see four adverts telling us how the XBox 360 is great for music, streaming HD movies, watching Sky tv and you can get one for £149.99 with extras - whilst we also learn that if you buy a mobile phone on a contract, you'll get a PS3 slim chucked in for free!

Yes, Sony had done some good advertising recently, but come on!! Prime time TV, two weeks before Christmas, during one of the years most watched tv shows!

I love my launch 60Gb PS3 - best Christmas present my wife ever bought me! I love all the amazing things it does and all the excellent features it has. I'm also well aware of the XBox's plus points and negative points.

But, if I was oblivious to these facts and just wanted to buy my kid a console for Christmas, after watching the above adverts, would I really buy a PS3?

[Septimus Prime]

I think what Sony needs to copy is those disingenuous ads where they add the Xbox logo to the end of an advert for a multiplatform game like MW2.

[Speedfreak]

Originally Posted by Septimus Prime

I think what Sony needs to copy is those disingenuous ads where they add the Xbox logo to the end of an advert for a multiplatform game like MW2.

Excellent point!

[Rob71]

I actually like Sony's new PS3 ads. Been seeing them quite a bit lately. The two newest ones are great.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5tEr...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38LXGpv078E

[Uniquely]

Originally Posted by Septimus Prime

I think what Sony needs to copy is those disingenuous ads where they add the Xbox logo to the end of an advert for a multiplatform game like MW2.

If MS is paying for the ad... why shouldn't they put their logo on it? When the game manufacturer is paying for the ad... then they put all the logos on it. It would be stupid for MS to fund an ad and put their competitors logos on it. I don't think Sony would use XBox logos, if they could afford to fund advertising for multi-plat games.

[mikejet]

What Sony could learn is that when you watch TV shows, or movies, or when they show video games in commercials for Walmart or something, you always notice the white 360 controller. MS made it a point to differentiate the next gen controller from the original Xbox. If you see people playing with a DS3 or sixaxis it could easily be mistaken for a PS2.

Having a new look to distinguish yourself from the past really helps to stand out.

[Maximus]

Originally Posted by mikejet

What Sony could learn is that when you watch TV shows, or movies, or when they show video games in commercials for Walmart or something, you always notice the white 360 controller. MS made it a point to differentiate the next gen controller from the original Xbox. If you see people playing with a DS3 or sixaxis it could easily be mistaken for a PS2.

Having a new look to distinguish yourself from the past really helps to stand out.

Well they did try wit PS3 with all the Spiderman logo stuff and they are doing better with the old school style post-slim.

[mikejet]

Originally Posted by Maxpower1987

Well they did try wit PS3 with all the Spiderman logo stuff and they are doing better with the old school style post-slim.

It's just that when you watch people playing games on a TV show and you see a white controller you think "Oh, they are playing a 360. A new system." But if you see them with a DS3 or six axis and the cord is plugged in and you don't actually see what they are playing, you could think "Why are they playing a PS2?"

Of course that's just my thinking. It would be nice if Sony had a distinctive way for people to know that the people are holding PS3 controllers.

[xtop]

Originally Posted by mikejet

It's just that when you watch people playing games on a TV show and you see a white controller you think "Oh, they are playing a 360. A new system." But if you see them with a DS3 or six axis and the cord is plugged in and you don't actually see what they are playing, you could think "Why are they playing a PS2?"

Of course that's just my thinking. It would be nice if Sony had a distinctive way for people to know that the people are holding PS3 controllers.

no wire?

[GamerPS3-X360]

I like the new PS3 ads...I see them a lot more now...They are funny, relevant and showcase the best titles the system has to offer...What they need to do is elaborate more on some of the other key features that the PS3 is capable of...

[Deadset]

Originally Posted by Rob71

I actually like Sony's new PS3 ads. Been seeing them quite a bit lately.

The guy from Scare Tactics does a good job!

I like their new adds as well, the one with girlfriend who thinks Uncharted is a bluray movie.

[Jeff Kleist]

Of course that's just my thinking. It would be nice if Sony had a distinctive way for people to know that the people are holding PS3 controllers.

They did try, and it looked like it should have been an Arkham Asylum packin which they wisely abandoned

http://playstation.joystiq.com/tag/batarang/

Frankly I think keeping your controller standard across generations is a good idea. It kills a bunch of learning curve. MS killed their fat controller (which I loved, it fit my hands) to do controller S, realized the B&W buttons were unuseable on that pad and moved them to the bumpers. I'll bet that the 720 doesn't see a change though (except please, make it a little bigger! Same goes for PS4). The original Playstation actually had larger controllers for the US, but after that they seemed to stick with the single smaller size.

[Septimus Prime]

Originally Posted by robinandtami

If MS is paying for the ad... why shouldn't they put their logo on it? When the game manufacturer is paying for the ad... then they put all the logos on it. It would be stupid for MS to fund an ad and put their competitors logos on it. I don't think Sony would use XBox logos, if they could afford to fund advertising for multi-plat games.

I think you misinterpreted my post. What I meant to say was that I think Sony should also do that. I think I saw it once.

[Uniquely]

Originally Posted by Septimus Prime

I think you misinterpreted my post. What I meant to say was that I think Sony should also do that. I think I saw it once.

I was just talking about the way you called it "disingenuous."

[GLaDOS]

Originally Posted by Septimus Prime

I think what Sony needs to copy is those disingenuous ads where they add the Xbox logo to the end of an advert for a multiplatform game like MW2.

Yes, I totally agree with you; they should do a lot more advertising when it comes to more multiplatform games.

[jadedeath]

Originally Posted by robinandtami

I was just talking about the way you called it "disingenuous."

I'd say it's no more {or less} disingenuous than selling someone a malfunctioning console.

Logan

[Septimus Prime]

Originally Posted by robinandtami

I was just talking about the way you called it "disingenuous."

I think it is disingenuous, as it implies something that is untrue. I liken it to Mac commercials. "It just works" is disingenuous, too because it implies that the machine never malfunctions.