Hilarious PSP marketing site

[Jason Cross]

head to: http://www.alliwantforxmasisapsp.com/

It's supposed to be a fanboy blog all about how his friend wants a PSP, and they're gonna keep it real yo and all "teh" other things kids say without those capital letters these days.

It's just...just so out of touch it's hard to believe it could even be some jackhole's real blog. Because it's not.

The domain is registered to marketing firm Zipatoni (http://www.zipatoni.com). This is such a funny marketing trainwreck I just had to share.

[Gary Whitta]

Hoo boy.

[K0NY]

Wow...that's pretty pathetic.

[Tom McNamara]

This is why citizen journalism will never fly.

[Andrew Mayer]

Anybody over 35 still sad that they're no longer a core marketing demographic?

[Fuzzydevil]

Paraphrased from posts elsewhere, regarding nothing but the videos:

It's idiotic. About the only thing that can come from this is word of mouth marketing (as in: "Hey, check out this fucking stupid Sony advert") but as it's an online thing, only people with internet access who're going to find it - and people likely to find it online have almost certainly heard of the PSP, so word of mouth will have very little effect.

Reminds me, somewhat, of the Wii. The name change to Wii had people talking about it a lot, and even my non-gamer friends brought it up with me. By the time the Wii came out, though, no-one cared about the name, but everyone had heard of it (and I'm still not convinced this wasn't the intended effect). The difference here is that this is presumably Christmas marketing, and there's no way the negative stigma will have vanished by then. I can't honestly see anyone buying a PSP on the strength of this, either, but then I'm perhaps not cynical enough of the dregs of humanity yet.

Tim

[MikeSofaer]

"All Sony wants for Christmas is a better ad agency" :)

[Tom Ohle]

The funny thing is that the marketing company is probably rather happy -- and thus, Sony is probably rather happy -- that people have found the site and have posted links to it (saw this mentioned on a few blogs, too)... so their mission has been accomplished. Whether it sells PSPs isn't the issue -- it's done its little piece to get people to remember that the PSP exists.

[tromik]

I love the reverse-super-irony of the "This is not an ad" ad., on/in an ad. I'm guessing it's based on "This is not a pipe," which makes it even better.

Sony marketing is just horrible. The PSP graffiti comes to mind. And I dunno what the fuck ThreeSpeech is, but it is the shadiest blog in town.

[Aeon221]

Number one in the hood, g.

[Charles]

hahahaah.a...


"Don't just wear it, pwn it!!111"

Man, at least get the terminology right. Unless you are going to kick the shit out of that shirt, I don't think they wan't you pwning it.

[tromik]

hahahaah.a...


"Don't just wear it, pwn it!!111"

Man, at least get the terminology right. Unless you are going to kick the shit out of that shirt, I don't think they wan't you pwning it.
They mean "pwn" as in "consume," "to aquire goods and services."

[Charles]

I know what they intend to use it as, but it's not the accepted use.

[Alan Au]

Man, at least get the terminology right. Unless you are going to kick the shit out of that shirt, I don't think they wan't you pwning it. http://web.mit.edu/cms/bcc/blogpics/mcsex1.gif

- Alan

[tromik]

I know what they intend to use it as, but it's not the accepted use.
Right. Which is why it's so funny. No only is it not the intended use, it's like the complete opposite. Why are we fighting if we totally agree?

FUCK YOU GRANDMA! HANDERSON VALLEY EGGS! YOU'RE GONNA LOVE OUR EGGS!

[tromik]

http://web.mit.edu/cms/bcc/blogpics/mcsex1.gif
Thank god you kept it.

[Charles]

http://web.mit.edu/cms/bcc/blogpics/mcsex1.gif

- Alan


At least it's warm. Sometimes.

[RobotPants]

Are the videos as awful as I think they probably are? I mean "our boy Cousin Pete 'rapped up these crazy beatz and rhymes & put them under our tree! much luv and thx, pete." I'm pretty certain not even stupid teenie internet hipsters talk like that.

Crap like this makes me physically ill. Someone hurry and invent a device that will allow me to vomit directly on that website.

[Munin]

Exactly what Tom Ohle said - we talk about it now, so they've succeeded already. Doesn't matter how stupid or sad this looks to you all, this will (if for a short while) undoubtedly spark discussions on a lot of forums and stuff. Maybe it wasn't intended to turn out like this, but now they've reached an even bigger audience that includes the more "mature" gaming people. They didn't reach them in a positive way, but you know how that saying goes about PR...

[extarbags]

it's done its little piece to get people to remember that the PSP exists.

Maybe Sony would get better results if they got people to remember that the PSP exists by, like, getting people to make some decent games for it.

[AndrewM]

That reminds me, I've been meaning to buy a PSP.


Not really.

[Gary Whitta]

They didn't reach them in a positive way, but you know how that saying goes about PR...
What? That getting your target audience to mock you and your product is a good thing?

[Fuzzydevil]

http://web.mit.edu/cms/bcc/blogpics/mcsex1.gif

*hysterical laughter*

I still can't see this ad as a good thing, even in the "people are talking about it" way. As Gary Whitta posted, I can't see anyone thinking this is a good thing. It's just going to get them mocked. This just cannot shift PSPs (again, I display my stunning naivety), which is presumably the aim of any form of marketing.

Tim

[Tom Chick]

Maybe Sony would get better results if they got people to remember that the PSP exists by, like, getting people to make some decent games for it.

Dude, April 2005 called and it wants its snarky cliche back. :)

-Tom

[Reldan]

Sony could host a website that featured a guy shoving a PS3 up his own ass and and it would spark discussion across the internet. Still not a good ad campaign.

I wouldn't call this sad attempt at destroying my brain good PR or a successful ad campaign. There's a distinction between publicity and marketing. This is certainly publicity, but it's bad marketing and in bad taste in general.

[Not One Of Us]

Bill Hicks.

[Gary Whitta]

Some of the excellent user comments left on this "blog":


· "As a gamer who is part of Sony's target audience I'm insulted not just by the integrity of this website, but that this reflects how intelligent Sony's marketing department thinks I am."

· "Second...Sony...PLEASE stop trying to be 'hip'. Please START focusing on product and games and opening a REAL dialogue with your users to make your gaming products better."

· "This fake cool vibe is as pathetic as an old uncle dancing to hip hop at a family wedding."

· "Please, while you're removing this comment and the 200 other negative comments above it (again), have the decency to do one honest thing in your life and inform sony of just how bad they screwed up by ordering this a_d. This is simply so insulting to anyone who truly loves games, the only reaction you will likely get is a decreased willingness to buy anything sony branded."

· "Just checking back again, I note that my post,saying the word advert(i)sing was banned, has been deleted."

· "Thank you for making me feel even better about not buying your products! And by the way, your incredibly horrible attempts at typing in a way you must assume most gamers type is pathetic. Way to go! You just insulted all the people who buy your products! Now back to Mario on my DS. "

· "Let's face it folks, PSPs are utterly worthless unless you hack the thing. Downgrade your firmware to 1.50 and install Devhook 0.5.1 and emulate Firmware 3.02 - swapping between the two rocks. And you have ISO support now."

· "Makes me ashamed of buying a product from such losers. if you guys wanted to sell psp's then why don't you get dame game on it, right now theres no great games on psp just a bunch of shovelware."

· "No one wants a psp, and Sony is going down in flames. I've awaited this day for many, many years now."

· "What The Hell! Not only is this fraud of a joke site a simple paid for advertisement for Sony, but it also is horrendously awful! You spent how much on this absolute tripe? Sony shareholders better wake up and start firing people left and right if they want to retain any value."

· "You want people to love your products and actually produce sites like this? Don't pay someone make a site... Just make a product good enough for people to love. The community and love will follow."



And the "kids" who created this site defend themselves...




"we be just tryin to represent u guys... regular playas just tryin to get their gaem on, but now u gotta do all be dis then... u guys are noubs, pwnd!!" - 'charlie'

"You all is haters tymes 4. Dis is lee-git. Don't know why youse thinks this is a schill. Are site was registered through an external provider. We don't work for sony. And for all you dissin' my skillz I'm down for a one on one rap off or settling it street stylez if you feel me playa. Teh. I own a Nintendo DS and I love it. I would still like a PSP for shizzle. But the DS is just as solid." - 'cousinpete'

[Tom McNamara]

"You all is haters tymes 4. Dis is lee-git. Don't know why youse thinks this is a schill. Are site was registered through an external provider. We don't work for sony. And for all you dissin' my skillz I'm down for a one on one rap off or settling it street stylez if you feel me playa. Teh. I own a Nintendo DS and I love it. I would still like a PSP for shizzle. But the DS is just as solid." - 'cousinpete'

Oh no he didn't.

[OrfBC]

That second one can't be for real. He just says "teh" out of nowhere.

[Erlend Grefsrud]

"we be just tryin to represent u guys... regular playas just tryin to get their gaem on, but now u gotta do all be dis then... u guys are noubs, pwnd!!" - 'charlie'

"You all is haters tymes 4. Dis is lee-git. Don't know why youse thinks this is a schill. Are site was registered through an external provider. We don't work for sony. And for all you dissin' my skillz I'm down for a one on one rap off or settling it street stylez if you feel me playa. Teh. I own a Nintendo DS and I love it. I would still like a PSP for shizzle. But the DS is just as solid." - 'cousinpete'

Are you fucking kidding, or are those actual quotes?

[Gary Whitta]

This really is taking on all new levels of unexpected awesomeness. 120 user comments of pure hatred so far.

[worm]

This is why I'll take a marketer pretending to be a kid who wants a PSP for Christmas over douchebag anti-sony maniacs.


· "Let's face it folks, PSPs are utterly worthless unless you hack the thing. Downgrade your firmware to 1.50 and install Devhook 0.5.1 and emulate Firmware 3.02 - swapping between the two rocks. And you have ISO support now."
Also this is super easy.


· "Makes me ashamed of buying a product from such losers. if you guys wanted to sell psp's then why don't you get dame game on it, right now theres no great games on psp just a bunch of shovelware."
Haha, speaking of people using terms incorrectly.


· "No one wants a psp, and Sony is going down in flames. I've awaited this day for many, many years now."
Oh god.

[Gary Whitta]

Actually I'll take the douchebag anti-sony maniacs over the marketers any day. They may have no grasp of spelling or grammar but at least they're not trying to trick me out of my money.

[worm]

Oh god. Yeah, how can we tolerate people trying to get our money in America?

[Gary Whitta]

Oh god. Yeah, how can we tolerate people trying to get our money in America?
I don't mind them marketing to me, I just object to them using cynically deceitful (and frankly downright insulting) means to do it.

[Tom McNamara]

Hey, relax, guys. They're just trying to keep it real.

[Squirrel Killer]

You all is haters tymes 4. Dis is lee-git. Don't know why youse thinks this is a schill. Are site was registered through an external provider. We don't work for sony. And for all you dissin' my skillz I'm down for a one on one rap off or settling it street stylez if you feel me playa. Teh. I own a Nintendo DS and I love it. I would still like a PSP for shizzle. But the DS is just as solid.
I've got a cousin like this, but he went gay to get out of the Navy instead of going retarded to get hired by Sony.

[Gary Whitta]

Hey, relax, guys. They're just trying to keep it real.
It's fairly ironic when you consider that in actuality they are doing the EXACT OPPOSITE of keeping it real.

[Dean]

Buried in the comments:


Zipatoni has no need to publicly declare this site as advertising. The fact that we publicly own this site is sufficient to posit it in a legally transparent fashion.

We appreciate and encourage your continued participation, but we remind you that spammers are being tracked and will be banned.
Comment By Meredith@zipatoni At 12/12/2006 11:42 PM

Fun:


WE'RE IN YOUR BLOGZ, KILLING YOUR MAKETINGZ!

And even more fun:

http://aycu37.webshots.com/image/8556/2005912700772660380_rs.jpg

Is that Jeff Green at the top there?

[Gary Whitta]

Owned.

[Charlatan]

I'd like to pwn my PSP for some cash... where's the pwnbroker?

[Jeff Green]

Is that Jeff Green at the top there?

Fo shizzle! I feel you, yo! Also: Fuck you! :)

[Midnight Son]

Fuckin' viral shit.

[Samurai]

here's the deal:::
Busted. Nailed. Snagged. As many of you have figured out (maybe our speech was a little too funky fresh???), Peter isn't a real hip-hop maven and this site was actually developed by Sony. Guess we were trying to be just a little too clever. From this point forward, we will just stick to making cool products, and use this site to give you nothing but the facts on the PSP.

Sony Computer Entertainment America

Bravo Sony.

[Andrew Mayer]

Oh god. Yeah, how can we tolerate people trying to get our money in America?

Replace "trying" with "lying" and read it back to me.

[Midnight Son]

Bravo Sony.

Bravo? They wouldn't have said a damn thing if they hadn't been found out!

[Samurai]

Bravo? They wouldn't have said a damn thing if they hadn't been found out!

I wasn't being sincere.

[Aeroplane]

and use this site to give you nothing but the facts on the PSP.

You know, now that everyone knows about it and all.

[steve]

What? That getting your target audience to mock you and your product is a good thing?
Didn't that work for Nintendo and the Wii?

[TheWombat]

It's now displaying text admitting it's a marketing ploy.....

[skyride]

hahahaah.a...


"Don't just wear it, pwn it!!111"

Man, at least get the terminology right. Unless you are going to kick the shit out of that shirt, I don't think they wan't you pwning it.

pwn is pronounced "own" by many people so this makes sense. Even teh_pwnerer (http://www.purepwnage.com/) pronouces it "own".

[Andrew Mayer]

It's now displaying text admitting it's a marketing ploy.....

I think it is now safe to call this a marketing disaster.

[Rimbo]

I think it is now safe to call this a marketing disaster.

I think it is now safe to say that Ken Kutaragi is no longer calling the shots.

He never would have admitted this was a mistake.

[worm]

pwn is pronounced "own" by many people so this makes sense. Even teh_pwnerer (http://www.purepwnage.com/) pronouces it "own".
I also like how he uses the "!!!!!!!!1111" as if it's supposed to be anything but stupid looking.

I think it's funny that Sony at least posted that it was totally false, it's better than the thing just vanishing. As for being so very insulted that Sony would try these tactics, it feels the same as talking honeymooning mucous in your lungs and monsters in your toenails. I don't see why putting actors on a blog to lie is anymore egregious than product endorsements or TV commercials, is everyone's crazy anger with this that you expect lies from your TV but not from websites?


Replace "trying" with "lying" and read it back to me.
I'll agree the marketing site was retarded, but this entire "I was lied to on the Internet" shtick is worse.

[Squirrel Killer]

As for being so very insulted that Sony would try these tactics, it feels the same as talking honeymooning mucous in your lungs and monsters in your toenails. I don't see why putting actors on a blog to lie is anymore egregious than product endorsements or TV commercials, is everyone's crazy anger with this that you expect lies from your TV but not from websites?
You are a fucking trip, man.

[MikeSofaer]

I wonder if anyone archived the comments.

[andrew_fm]

I wonder if anyone archived the comments.
http://www.ukresistance.co.uk/sonylieblog/default.aspx.htm

[Gary Whitta]

Haha! A victory for the people! Brilliant.

[MikeSofaer]

Now all we need to do is googlebomb that link as Zipatoni (http://www.ukresistance.co.uk/sonyli...fault.aspx.htm).

Or maybe we shouldn't. QT3 has the PageRank to pull that off, and Tom may not want that kind of publicity.

[Andrew Mayer]

I'll agree the marketing site was retarded, but this entire "I was lied to on the Internet" shtick is worse.

There's a big difference between what you expect from "some shmuck" and a business entity like a corporation. Legal differences too...

[Gary Whitta]

First spoof site is up...

http://www.alliwantforxmasisaps3.com/


Chucky-ChuckChuck: y0, what's up my main shizzle?!?!
Wigety-Winston: I pull it out of your butt, spit on it, and put it back in your butt... your anal cavity is filled now... you're moaning, louder, louder... like i did when you were in me...
Wigety-Winston: O SHIT!!! Wrong window br0... uh, heh... um, i mean... HAHAHA LAWLZ!! wasn't that funny shit?
Chucky-ChuckChuck: HAHAHA!~!~ You almost had me there!
Wigety-Winston: Dag y0, i really wantz me a ps3, DOG!
Chucky-ChuckChuck: I KN-I-ZOW home skittles.
Wigety-Winston: So like, I took a shit on my dad's chest this morning, in hopes that he'd know i wanted a ps3... he didn't like it to well.
Chucky-ChuckChuck: Dag, fooo! Maybe that wasn't such a good idea after all!
Wigety-Winston: FO'REAL!! LAWLZ!!
Chucky-ChuckChuck: It's ok home doggy... we'll git you a ps3, i put that on mah higgedy-hood yo!
Wigety-Winston: yizah! But uh, i've been reading some not so favorable things about the ps3 homey!
Chucky-ChuckChuck: Really?! No way! It costs $600 bucks... it's GOTTA be da-shit y0!
Wigety-Winston: Well, apparently not! I mean, i was considering an xbox 360 homeeee.
Chucky-ChuckChuck: Don't give up on me YET doggie...
Wigety-Winston: ok broseph... I'll keep it real for ya...
Wigety-Winston: So uh... i gotta, like.. do some homewerk... Um, i'll be online but i won't like... be here for real, or something... so um, er... i'll hit you up later
Chucky-ChuckChuck: Aight homey G! catch you on the flip sidez

[Tom McNamara]

Some wiseacre put it on Digg. The site's server is totally hosed. Thanks, Internet!

[Jonathan Blow]

Looks like Sony gave up...

http://www.alliwantforxmasisapsp.com/blog/

[Gary Whitta]

Looks like Sony gave up...

http://www.alliwantforxmasisapsp.com/blog/
Looks like you didn't read this thread!

[AndrewM]

He gave up.

[Jonathan Blow]

Oops. Somehow I missed that page.

[Chris Nahr]

Eurogamer (http://www.eurogamer.net/article.php?article_id=71141) reminds as of a real British TV spot for a PSP game: Man pisses on his own car!

[AaronSofaer]

Now all we need to do is googlebomb that link as Zipatoni (http://www.ukresistance.co.uk/sonyli...fault.aspx.htm).

Or maybe we shouldn't. QT3 has the PageRank to pull that off, and Tom may not want that kind of publicity.

You know you want to.