A few months ago I noticed that Sony made a shift to a more light-hearted marketing campaign in an effort to move consoles. Utilizing fictional, ever-changing VP of Something Kevin Butler as their helmsman, the Sony onslaught of marketing since their $299 price drop has been funny, down-to-earth, and most of all, gotten results. Overall perception of the PS3 and its slimmer, sexier look has been positive, and the console has now, in my opinion, caught up to the Wii and 360 as a competitor in the overall sales market.
You have to give credit to Sony marketing for creating such a memorable and interesting campaign. I’ll have a few video links below for your perusal, but the gist of the matter is that Sony is trying to get in tune with the average, regular gamer. This is a gamer that isn’t always fooled by shiny, over-the-top dramatics, such as the oddity of a crying doll that graced our TV’s from Sony a while back. They’re also a gamer that has a tinge of sarcasm, a bit of the funny, and simple, practical needs. With the “Dear Playstation” ads and the latest video about the upcoming PS3 motion control, Move, Sony’s taken a a tack to address the masses at their level, while creating a sales pitch that is smart and strategic. Having a central figure like “Kevin Butler” helps too – a combination of stereotypical clueless CEO and sharp wit – helps with this as well. The wink to the TV as Butler subtly jabs at motion control competition from the Wii and 360 is seen as mildly asshole-ish, but still charming.
Honestly, the results speak for themselves. The days of the PS3 being viewed as the oversized, overpriced joke of the console wars appear to be behind them, and even though there are some issues – like the massive borking of non-slim PS3s a while back and the lackluster PSP Go sales – Sony’s on its way up. If you don’t believe me, just check out the stuff below. I think you’ll lol at least once. Don’t forget to follow the hapless, yet confident Kevin Butler on Twitter if you’re into that.