Sony's Strategy In a World Without Kevin Butler

The character was hugely popular in America - to the point that Sony actually trotted Lambert out onto the E3 stage alongside Jack Tretton a couple years ago - and Sony needs to figure out a new marketing direction for the holiday season pronto. So what's the strategy? And just how important was Butler to sales anyway? GamesIndustry International discussed the Butler fallout with PR/marketing experts and analysts.

[donniebaseball]

Butler was probably the best Sony marketing I've ever seen for PlayStation. Going to miss it!

[LOGICWINS]

"Butler was probably the best Sony marketing I've ever seen for PlayStation."

I think the weird baby commercials were better simply because they were unique and caught your eye. KB was simply another middle aged white guy who was overly witty and sarcastic...for the sake of being overly witty and sarcastic(something we see in way too many commercials already).

The only people that glorified him were Sony fanboys that are easily amused at anything/everything. I bet both my arms and legs that most PS3 owners, to this day, don't know who Kevin Butler is...much less Jack Tretton.

[MrMister]

LogicFails, again.

[LOGICWINS]

WOW...marvelous input. You must be a hit at parties! =D

[goldwyncq]

Being unique just for the sake of uniqueness isn't automatically good. Those baby commercials weren't received positively because it has absolutely nothing to do with what the PS3 is.

[MostJadedGamer]

It just shows how overrated marketing. Yea Butler won the marketing battle for Sony against Nintendo, and Microsoft, but marketing is not what sells consoles.

[LOGICWINS]

"...but marketing is not what sells consoles"

?????

Games sell consoles

Gameplay videos/demos market games

HENCE

Marketing sells consoles

[doogiebear]

Butler was cool--But Sony made Butler; and they can make another icon.

[LOGICWINS]

Totally unnecessary. Sony needs to do one thing and one thing only. Show GAMEPLAY FOOTAGE! 30 seconds of actual gameplay of the Last of Us during the superbowl will shock/awe audiences across the nation. It will be followed by a link to a site where they can see the rest of the gameplay footage. The commercial ends with "Only on and only possible on the PS3."

[BitbyDeath]

The last 30 seconds of the E3 trailer would work.

"NO, DON'T!" BOOM

[LOGICWINS]

The BOOM would occur, but the screen would naturally fade to black just before the guys head gets splattered.

[doogiebear]

Kristen Schaal does commercials for Sony's Erricson/Xperia phones and the games for the phones and she's WAAAAY funnier than Butler. Plus she ACTUALLY loves playing games, whereas Mr. Lambert/Butler is just an actor pretending to enjoy gaming. I think Sony should promote her to doing Playstation commercials. Here is one of the most popular commercials she's done:

http://www.youtube.com/watc...

Related video

[iamnsuperman]

Actually from a marketing point of view he was pretty crap. He just had good adverts (which is great) but I often found he never sold the product. It was all about the humour. I love the adverts and they really hit home to the crowd that comes here but I do not see it had the same effect on the people who don't come here.

[Soldierone]

I don't think they need him. The reason it was so successful? It was funny. Sure they created an icon out of him, but still.

Make funny/enjoyable commercials and people will like them. Sony used to make all kinds of friggin awesome commercials during PS1 days with Crash etc....

Serious just gets boring, especially if you are marketing correctly and force people to watch it 10 times a day.

Only other option is to rip people off, throw a gecko in your commercials, then follow up with 10 different absolute crap ones, and market your insurance company non-stop 24.7 until people start saying "I can't stand BLAInsurance commercials!"

[Yodagamer]

I guess it's a different time, not to hate on sony, but i still think the ps1/ps2 was their most creative era from both a gaming and marketing perspective, they had characters that could make funny commericals during that time, you can't really use a nathan drake and have as funny of a commerical where crash, jak, and sly could have hilarious ones.

[Soldierone]

Drake is full of smart arse remarks, you could easily take him and create a humor commercial without ruining his character at all lol

[doogiebear]

You obviously don't know Nathan Drake, and more obviously, you don't own (or at least play) PS3. Because PS3 has just as many new memorable characters as the PS1 and PS 2 did. I think the PS3 made the most amazing come back in gaming history just from the past 3 years.

[clearelite]

I definitely agree that Sony USED to make all kinds of awesome commercials. I also think that KB was one of the best things (marketing wise) the've had going for them in the last several years.

[ChunkyLover53]

Bring back the weird babies!

[Knight_Crawler]

The crying,laughing doll thingy was creepy as hell...Sony should have the doll the final boss in Battle Royal.

[insomnium2]

Did I just lol at your comments in a genuine fashion? That's refreshing.

[MadMen]

SONY should have gotten this worked out, you brought the guy to your E3 for god sakes, now you just look like fools who cant handle your media

[kornbeaner]

Same thing they did with Crash Bandicoot, they placed crash at the forefront of their war with Nintendo and now he is nowhere to be found on a Sony ad.

[MySwordIsHeavenly]

He doesn't belong to Sony. He never did...

-_-

[kornbeaner]

I know that he doesn't belong to Sony and never did, but that didn't stop them for using him on their war with Nintendo during the PS1 days. I'm not arguing ownership of image, but instead Image affiliation, Crash was the face of the PS1 and now he is nowhere to be seen. Kevin Butler has been the face of the PS3 for the last 2 years and now its time for them to move on. Just the way things go.

[BigStef71]

So what are the chances Kevin Butler is ever in a playstation commercial again? I have a feeling this lawsuit has tarnished any chance Jerry Lambert would want to work with Sony again

[Summons75]

maybe even made it more difficult hire some to do another commercial with the same idea as his. Actors will look at Sony and be to worried they will be sued as soon as their contract is up.

[givemeshelter]

He was one of Sony's better marketing "stunts"
Marketing and advertising was never Sony's strong suit and losing this will hurt...

[TheHater]

Sony's Strategy In a World Without Kevin Butler?
I don't know, maybe we might actually see the game? I know it's crazy, but we might actually see more content of the games. Jerry Lambert as Kevin Butler was interesting, but I thought he took away from the game being advertising. We would see more of him rather than the game.

Also would like to add that the PlayStation brand has been around since 1995/1996 and the Sony Brand been around since 1946. I am pretty sure Sony can survive without him.

I didn't realize that this guy is the face of "Sony".

Another fail blog post fishing for hits.

[-MD-]

His commercials were never even remotely funny.

[TooTall19]

I agree. Sony has enough games where they could show a compilation of trailers, but instead they focus on people playing the game. Watching people play or talk about games isn't as interesting watching the games themselves.

[r21]

Oh man....im gonna miss KB commercials :C They were hilarious IMO and did a great job advertising games :)

[omarzy]

I'd like to see the characters marketing the games. Anyone want to see Drake and his smart ass market the next Uncharted? I do.

[ShadowGhost]

Although as much as I like Jerry Lambert, (The guy who plays Kevin Butler for those that don't know his real name)Sony doesn't need him for their adverts. If Sony went back to their old roots and advertised their products like they did for the PS1 and early PS2 back in the original days, they'll be fine and will sell a lot of software along with hardware. But since they have new people marketing in their department, it'll be kind of hard to get that train rolling nowadays since Sony is losing money as a whole. They did get rid of almost their whole PR staff for peaks sake.

[Cam977]

He left!?
😞

[dragonyght]

lol sony should pull a doctor who with Kevin butler

[3-4-5]

is to sue Kevin Butler....

this should be a sitcom