The controversial Sony PSP adverts, currently on billboards across the Netherlands, are to be taken down. One of the adverts depicted a a white woman looming over a petrified-looking black girl, with the slogan, "PlayStation Portable White is coming."

Sony have buckled under the pressure from the public and various civic rights groups, and have promptly apologised for the provacative images. Speaking to GamesIndustry.biz, Sony said, "We further recognise that people have a wide variety of perceptions about such imagery and we wish to apologise to those who perceived the advert differently to that intended. In future, we will apply greater sensitivity in our selection of campaign imagery, and will take due account of the increasingly global reach of such local adverts, and their potential impact in other countries."

So, Sony will 'apply greater sensitivity' in future campaigns? That sounds familiar.

Sony are no strangers to controversial adverts, back in October last year they also apologised and subsequently withdrew an advertising campaign for the PlayStation, which featured a man wearing a crown of thorns with the slogan "Ten years of passion". Not to mention the PSP billboard ad that advised comsumers at train stations to "Take a running jump from here".

It appears that the shock tactics used by Sony in their advertising campaigns create a great deal of publicity. A quick apology, and it's all forgotten, then onto the next one - nice work.

Games Industry.biz