Xbox Advertisement banned in Europe

Dale Weir · 06-05-2002, 03:36 PM

Games Radar is reporting that an Xbox commercial has been ordered off the airwaves by the Independent Television Commission (ITC) due to its rather "objectionable" subject matter. After viewing it, I have to say that it is the most morbid (I still have trouble finding words to describe it) commerical I have ever seen. How does an ad make it onto television when it neither A) makes me want to own an Xbox, nor B) go on living for much longer.

http://www.gamesradar.com/news/defau...618&pagetype=2

Dale

LordFarid · 06-05-2002, 04:23 PM

This is the only Xbox add i have ever seen on dutch TV, they showed it only about 2 weeks before the release. After the xbox release i have never seen it again.
Anyway, in defense of Microsoft for a change now, what exactly is morbid about it? I found the add quite fun, it shows how fast life goes, and that you have to play before it is over. What exactly is shocking about the add? the fact that you see birth? the fact that soemone flies into a grave?
In my opinion, this is just humor, maybe a little morbid humor like monthy pyton, but still humor. I never understand people who complain about these things, i mean come on....what the hell is wrong with that add? Could you please explain?
Anyway,what i do find lacking, in the add, is the fact that no gameplay footage is shown. Nintendo's adds all have gameplay footage.

GC_Thom · 06-05-2002, 04:31 PM

I think, regardless of whether you find the ad tasteless or not (I don't myself, but I could certainly understand why it wouldn't go over well), that this is a natural extension of MS using an 'edgy' or 'extreme' advertising campaign - which seems to be centered around attracting 13-year old boys.

I'd question whether this is a good idea. 13-year old boys are the crowd that's already going to be into gaming - do you really want to spend all your advertising budget (or most, at least) towards attracting the hardcore gamer crowd if this crowd is already going to be hungrily pursuing more information about the Xbox anyway?

Compare the US comercials of 'she kicks high' and the one where a boy gets a skateboard stuck up his ass with the Nintendo commercials, which rely on quick-cut absract shots of people staring at GameCubes/plexiglass cubes with a game-signifying icon inside interspersed with gameplay footage.

(Note: I'm not saying that Xbox advertising is bad because it's crass compared to Nintendo advertising - I'm saying that it appears that MS is targeting a demographic that by all rights, should already be interested in the Xbox, and perhaps their marketing would be better targeted toward the non-hardcore crowd.)

AzuRE Rebirth · 06-05-2002, 06:04 PM

Sudden...jerk urge...can't control....attempt to be asshole...slipping....slipping....
*SNAP*
Why'd they bother with controversal Xbox ads when their sales prove it's already too late!
DAMMIT! I tried being good this time I really did.

Ok ok, I'm sorry. That was bad (I'm going through a rough time, things like that ease the pain). While the Euro Xbox sales aren't the best sales figures in the world compared to ours, they're not that abysmal. To all Xbox loyalists, I apologize.

Well, now that that's done, I watched the ad and I can see where people might take offense. To the point of giving it equal stature to Prodigy's "Smack My Bitch Up" is a bit over the top (both were in semi-circulation and later banned). I will agree, though, that while I personally find no harm in the advertisement, it wasn't exactly the best ad they could've put out there.

Look at the "timeline" of US Xbox ads. When Xbox was released, we saw commercials similar to that of Sony's: A flash of the logo, a storyline commercial on the game itself (ex: Oddworld's ads featured Munch giving a speech to a crowd of...whatever they are, proclaiming "Fellow citizens! Oddworld needs you!", which then lead to more game shots, picture of the title, and the followup Xbox logo). Then there was a significantly large gap in Microsoft's advertising where Sony dominated and Nintendo played catchup, dropping the four-games-per-ad cube rotation ads and adapting more title oriented ones (Resident Evil, Pikmin, Super Smash Bros. Melee). Now Xbox has returned, though the advertisement is focused on A: the price drop and B: the contest to win that cadillac/pick-up truck hybrid they gave Tom Brady at the Super Bowl except this is equipped with an Xbox and 70 titles (they have 70 titles?). But either way, it focuses on games (Halo, THPS3, Oddworld, Morrowind, etc) as well as the system in a somewhat humorous fashion (the ploy is people are too busy thinking about the Xbox to concentrate on what they're doing, like a high school wrestler who winds up with a broken leg and a skateboarder who misses a 50/50 grind and ends up with his board up his...yeah).

So do I find it offensive? No. Do I see why others might be offended? Yup, cause if you show snot in a commercial some people are going to be offended of that too. Was it the best commercial idea? Ha, not at all. Can they do better? Of course, just port our ads over there. Everything will be hunky dory.

Dean_Siren · 06-05-2002, 06:13 PM

Bill Gates once said that he wanted Xbox to have games that would appeal to moms and grandparents. Apparently it has no such games and no such ads. Just what do video games need for those people to play?

By the way, what was that crackling sound? Was it the kid continuing to grow or was it him burning up in the atmosphere?

GC_Thom · 06-05-2002, 06:16 PM

Interesting, I haven't seen that quote before - I have read plenty where MS makes clear that the Xbox is meant to satisfy the hardcore gamer, providing the ultimate gaming geek machine.

Which seems just fine to me, but 'having a really good product that appeals to the hardcore public' tends to be a recipe to be a fringe element, and not a market leader, at least in the economic sense.

DanW · 06-05-2002, 11:02 PM

I laughed. But there's no accounting for some people's taste.

I don't know if this ad was so terrible it needed to be banned. Was someone upset at the idea of a newborn crashing through a window? Was it because the poor fella flying through the air was naked? Was it because he spent his whole life screaming?

This is off topic but does anyone remember the banned Nike ad from the Sydney Summer Olympics? This marathon runner was running through the woods late at night dressed in Nike gear and this chainsaw murderer in a hockey mask jumped her. She pushed him away and just kept on running and the murderer couldn't keep up and fell down weezing. I thought that was funny too.

Course if it weren't those little XBox and Nike logos at the end of the spot I'd never know what it was they were trying to sell.

Havblue · 06-05-2002, 11:21 PM

It's definitely an edgy commercial, but I also fail to see exactly why it was pulled. Mega dittos on DanW's questions as to why it was pulled as well. If it was pulled for the events that occur with the baby and the nudity, then it shouldn't be pulled because in the context of the commercial it makes enough sense. If it was pulled for being "morbid", we don't exactly need people deciding what messages we can't handle emotionally, either.

I thought it was a pretty good commercial, despite the fact that it doesn't make me want to go out and buy an Xbox anytime soon. Maybe it's going to mess with me subliminally, who knows. It's an interesting metaphor and because of that, the commercial has value, that's it.

Cornholio · 06-06-2002, 11:06 AM

The Independant has a fairly concise summary of events. The ITC told them it couldn't be shown again without a change to the ending (I suppose to show the chap living a long and happy life?). Micro$oft decided to pull it rather than change it.

There were several complaints from recently bereaved people who probably weren't expecting a reminder of how short life actually is during the ad break (including one from a woman who lost a baby in childbirth) - which I can understand.

Microsoft have been running game related ads here too (I've definitely seen ads for Halo and doa3 here). Their best advert imo is the one with the mosquitos and dancing animals (the mosquito buzzing becomes a techno tune which all animals except man dances to or something - you'd need to see it really).

Mikey B · 06-06-2002, 11:12 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DanW
I laughed. But there's no accounting for some people's taste.

I don't know if this ad was so terrible it needed to be banned. Was someone upset at the idea of a newborn crashing through a window? Was it because the poor fella flying through the air was naked? Was it because he spent his whole life screaming?

I laughed too, but my mam and dad were not amused... oh well.
I did think it was only a matter of time until the ad was removed from TV, but despite its 'edginess' it still does not make me want an X-Box... at the minute I'd rather have a Gamecube!!