One would think that after the countless numbers of controversial advertisements pulled for being too titillating or offensive, a giant like Sony would know better. Not really, apparently, as their recent PlayStation Vita ad had to be removed from public viewing on YouTube after a number of complaints.
The ad, while promoting the PlayStation Vita, more specifically touts its Remote Play feature, which allows Vita users to operate their PlayStation 4 remotely.
It features an attractive looking “doctor”, one Dr. Grace Powels, asking the viewer suggestive questions like “How many times did you do it yesterday? Are you afraid you’re doing it too often? In your bedroom under the blanket? Or perhaps you prefer it in the kitchen?” Removing her glasses, she provocatively sits on her desk and leans in close, declaring that “Now you can keep going all…day…long. You don’t even need to stop. And if you want to, you could even join me.”
The ad concludes with her pulling out a PlayStation Vita and having some…fun…on it.
Besides being incredibly uncomfortable to watch, the ad essentially boils down its target demographic to young males, particularly ones without girlfriends. One could argue that the conclusion of the ad immediately reveals it to be much ado over nothing, but the overbearingly sexual nature of the first 40 seconds overshadows whatever clever pull of the rug the ad might have had.
The ad was posted on PlayStation’s European YouTube channel last Friday, but after a litany of negative comments and Dislike votes, it was set as Private video instead of a publicly viewable one.
The top rated comment on the video’s YouTube page reads: “WHERE ARE THE GAMES. I DON’T BUY SYSTEMS FOR MASTURBATION JOKES. I BUY THEM FOR GAMES. SHOW ME GAMES SONY.”
As this article from The Verge points out, this isn’t the first face-palm worthy ad Sony has put out for the Vita:
