NYC wants Sony to remove PSP graffiti ads

by Ross Miller { Jan 13th 2006 at 4:45PM }

If you thought those PSP graffiti ads were annoying, you weren't alone. Peter Vallone Jr., a City Council member in New York, is calling out, saying the ad campaign is illegal and encourages vandalism. Vallone Jr. is asking Sony to clean up the ads and donate $20,000 to the city's anti-graffiti program.

For Sony to oblige and clean hire a clean-up crew seems like a good idea, as the campaigns seems to have sparked a backlash and the cost to the company would be barely noticeable, but Sony is defending its ad campaign. According to a spokesperson, "it's how we're using the space that's different [than most advertising]." If removal is not an option, there's still hope that Sony has learned not to try graffiti campaigning in the future.

[Thanks, SickNic]

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Dave @ Jan 13th 2006 5:07PM

I know a lot of people think that this ad campaign isn't really hurting anything, but as an New Yorker, it flat out pisses me off. Some graffitti is beautiful, yes. But most of it is obnoxious territory claiming piss poor paint, and this encourages that. Things have changed a lot since that art movement in the 80s and early 90s here, folks.

Worse still, these are only really found in poorer areas. Sony is blatantly going after one specific demographic, and somebody thought that they could "Cool" their way in on the street. Makes me sick.

I've heard that some places were paid as little as $100 or so for the use of their wall. Oh, good, so ANY ad company can do this and get around city ordinances on advertising?

John @ Jan 13th 2006 7:08PM

this is absolutely ridiculous. i saw this article on pspupdates.com (i think it was pspupdates), and, as one poster there said, if this is true, then i can be sued for painting my house the wrong combination of colors. sony paid for that ad space and they can use it as they wish

Brando K @ Jan 13th 2006 7:22PM

Well, they already took them down on 18th street in Philadelphia, the only reason I know is because I go past it every day

kizza @ Jan 13th 2006 7:45PM

I thought that pathetic country america, encouraged free speech & advertising.

Jesus, this is ridiculous, they paid to advertise, now people are trying to tell them exactly how they are to advertise. I remember Xbox spaid illegal grafiti on roads & walls in australia to advertise the xbox. What gives?? American companies advertise how they want, but Japanese based companies are to do what they are told. I've seen billboard ads for bra's & undies that no-one complains, and these are showing half naked men & women. So whats worse?

theboy @ Jan 13th 2006 8:03PM

The least they could have done would be to not make the graffiti look absolutely retarded.

whatever @ Jan 13th 2006 8:36PM

All billboards are licensed. The reason for this is to prevent everyone building a billboard on their property. Putting ads on a side of building that's not licensed for that is pretty the same as opening a dinner out of your house. Unless, it's zoned for that kind of business it's not allowed.

Andrew Fong @ Jan 13th 2006 9:58PM

#2, in some cities, yes, you actually can be fined for painting your house the wrong colors. The logic is that painting your house bright green and purple lowers the property value of your neighbor's houses as well.

Badison @ Jan 13th 2006 10:22PM

It's annoying that they are in principle, but c'mon. There's TONS of graffiti in nyc (I take pics every other day of whatever I come across that is alright).

Jeff @ Jan 14th 2006 12:12AM

Jesus Christ, is everybody around here like 11 years old today? This is like the third post I've read filled with a bunch of comments that just have no basis in reality whatsoever.

Can you be fined for painting your house the wrong colors? If that's what your town building code says, then YES. This has *always* been the case.

Can you be fined for putting advertising in the wrong place? If that's what your town building and zoning code says, then YES. Again, always been true, all over the world.

This is the way the world works. It's true EVERYWHERE. New York, like *every other city* in the country, has a set of building codes and zoning rules that allow advertising in certain places and disallow it in others. Even in areas where advertising is allowed, certain rules must be followed - ads cannot be larger than a specific size, for example. And did you know that in Times Square, advertisements *must* be brightly lit? Yes, it's the law.

If you think we're just living in a state of anarchy here where anybody can do whatever they want, you're living in a fantasy land in your own mind. Sony has to follow the rules like everybody else. You cannot paint advertising on a residential building, and you cannot put up an advertisement *anywhere* in New York without a permit (even if advertising is allowed in that area).

If you think there's something wrong with this, then get a clue. Because you're obviously experiencing the same cognitive disorder that Sony is.

Alright, I'm done trying to educate people today.

Joey Geraci @ Jan 14th 2006 12:15AM

public walls are just that, public. There are city ordinances for this type of thing for a reason and this is just out and out vandalism. Figures Sony fanboys would have to try to couch this in free speech. Damaging public property, even if somebody without the authority to say it says its ok and takes your money, is still damaging public property and it is out and out wrong.

Joey Geraci @ Jan 14th 2006 12:27AM

I don't know where my comment went, but here it is again:

public walls are just that, public. There are city ordinances for this type of thing for a reason and this is just out and out vandalism. Figures Sony fanboys would have to try to couch this in free speech. Damaging public property, even if somebody without the authority to say it says its ok and takes your money, is still damaging public property and it is out and out wrong.

scott @ Jan 14th 2006 12:32AM

Wow, Sony is just having SNAFU after SNAFU.

P.S.

Jeff, I couldnt agree with you more. Every recent comment board, especially the "Xbox Modders...Jail" seems like its been invaded by people with no actual thought process on how things work outside of the internet.

Arch Angel Diptheria 19 @ Jan 14th 2006 12:42AM

It it is true, there are codes we have to follow along with a bunch of stupid laws that bend and retard our Bill of rights along with the other ammendments.

graffiti is everywhere. You put up an ad or billboard, and someone will still tag it up.

I propose, that graffitti artists everywhere to get a copy of the Sony Ad, and just start taggin' it up everywhere. Don't wait for Sony to go out and do it. Artists, get up and give them a hand and hit your favorite overpass, wall, billborad etc.

Our Freedom of speech is under attack, and its time to show them the voices they are tryin' to shut.

Joey Geraci @ Jan 14th 2006 1:04AM

Again you have got to be joking right, Arch? Freedom of speech does not mean freedom to damage public property, it is just that simple. If a graffiti artist has a message they want to preach to the public, why don't they spray it on a canvas and sell it like most REAL artists. And Sony trying to justify destroying public property as some kind of desperate advertising gimmick, ... it is just pathetic.

Sean @ Jan 14th 2006 1:11AM

#2 obviously doesn't have a homeowners association. I can't paint my house any color but the colors approved by the HOA.

Rare Hare @ Jan 14th 2006 5:36AM

posted by Joey Geraci (#14):

"Freedom of speech does not mean freedom to damage public property, it is just that simple. If a graffiti artist has a message they want to preach to the public, why don't they spray it on a canvas and sell it like most REAL artists."

"REAL" artists? wow.. and what do you consider a "REAL" artist?? someone who starves and paints and gets famous after he's dead?

apparently you have no concept of art outside the stereotypical cartoon image ingrained in your narrow mind, which you've naively accepted. what makes these people not "REAL" as artists, simply because their art is not via your chosen medium?

the term artist is so much broader than that. game designers, directors, writers, musicians, even actors and comedians.. are all artists.

i think the word you're looking for is not 'artist' but, rather, 'painter'. why don't you familiarize yourself with a term before you use it so liberally?

leojsoap @ Jan 14th 2006 5:41AM

Arch Angel, wake up, this is the real world, you have to respect other people's rights, tagging graffiti all willy nilly is annoying and people shouldn't have to put up with it.

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Go buy some land, put up some (out of public sight) billboards/walls and go nuts with your Freedom of Speech, no one will tell you "you can't do that" or force you to pay money to do so.

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I remember using that argument when I was five, "this is a free country I can do anything I want."

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then I grew up.

This isnt a free country @ Jan 14th 2006 8:49AM

Aahahahahahaha. What idiots.

Obviously, anyone screaming for free speech must not live in NY, or must be 10 years old.

This country isn't free. Now anyway, it isn' any more free then most countries in Europe. The "We're Free!" slogan worked in the 18th and 19th centuries when every other country was an oppresive monarchy or dictatorship.

But other countries took our lead and changed their rules to become free like the united states. And during that time the US introduced its own legislation to put caps on personal freedoms (You can't shout "FIRE!" in a crowded area, for example -- Don't believe me? Try it the next time you're in a movie theater) for safety reasons as well as just for the sake of limiting freedoms.

Locke's social contract states that you must give up certain freedoms in order to live together in a functioning society, and that's what happened here.

Now enough of that. Sony is a major corporation. It doesn't matter if it "Bought" the wall space, you MUST HAVE AN ADVERTISING LICENSE FOR THE SPACE! Sony does not.

Therefore, under NY law, the advertising is illegal, and Sony will be made to pay some sort of fine and remove it.

Free speech has nothing to do with this problem here.

Zsavior @ Jan 14th 2006 7:14PM

I posted something about this same Thing in a different forum, I was disgusted when I saw it for many different reasons, so it is no surprise to me. I am just glad sony was caught on their shit and it wasn't just blown off.

At that I got nothing else to say, Sony speaks for itself i'm not going to even acknowledge it past this cause that is what the company wants. Only way to handle crap like this is to ignore it once they been called on it. Just like to say I am glad somebody did.

carlosc1dbz @ Jan 15th 2006 12:06AM

NYC is retarted. if they think that this ads will affect children and make them start tagging walls, NYC is stupid. I bet you the same retards that say that Grand Theft Auto causes kids to become violent are running this idiotic anti psp campaign. I belive if you are following the law you should be able to advertise however you see fit, within the law.

If NYC and however else is going to play the game like that, how about taking down all the billboards that have skinny female models because they cause the youth to become anorexic, and NYC cares so much about the children, and the message that advetisers send children.

Tommy Mang @ Jan 15th 2006 5:45AM

Sony should realize that they're not above the law.

Clean it up Sony!

Arch Angel Diptheria 19 @ Jan 22nd 2006 6:19PM

Here I am once again, the word has been spread, Taggers and Graffiti bust out your Cans and spray the sony PSP ad. We don't have a freee country, I know, I pay taxes, My taxes will pay the jail/prison I'll be sent to, and the arrestin' officer and judge who sentences me. And you know what? My state taxes pay the workers of my citiy!

So lets give our city workers job security and Tagg up the U.S. with the PSP AD Campaign. Already 3 murals have ben spotted with my eyes. Although they didn't have anythin' to do with this forum, theywere still cool as they covered up another advertisement.

Do you know what my taxes won't pay for? My retirement! Oh and by the way, I'm from L.A., that'll give you guys more material to talk crap about.