Featured above is a segment of a Youtube Video titled “Top 10 Worst Commercials of All Time”. One that stood out in particular to me was Playstation’s advertisement for their new Playstation 3. In the commercial, they set the scene with a cold, white, empty room with nothing but the console and a life like animated babydoll. There are no words in their ad, which I don’t think does a good job of convincing the customer to purchase said device. The baby begins to twist its mouth and murmur incoherently as the camera pans back and forth between doll and game. As the commercial continues, the camera zooms closer to the baby’s face and you watch scenes of warfare and gunfire play over its glassy eyes as two tears slide down its face. This isn’t all, for the tears then rewind along with the videos flashing in its eyes, and the camera pans back to the full view of the room.

I have a few bones to pick about this commercial. To begin, I think Playstation definitely missed their audience. The advertisement wasn’t for a particular horror or thriller video game, but rather for the console itself, so the eerie child seems unnecessary and detrimental to their sales. Furthermore, there was no explanation offered towards the perks and added benefits of their newer Playstation. If I was a costumer, I would much rather hear about their new added games, apps, or add ons that this console has over their competitors or their earlier works. Even further, Playstation and companies alike tend to sell towards teenagers and young adults. This advertisement evokes fear and confusion, not excitement and heightened interest. I showed this ad to my brother, a 17 year old video game enthusiast, and he sent back a three word text;”What the heck?”. This cold, way off base, and honestly terrifying advertisement did a lot more than Playstation intended, but definitely in the wrong direction.

 

Video curtesy of https://www.youtube.com