Dead Space 2 Mocks Moms
“That’s so silly,” was my mom’s disparaging comment upon glancing at the following commercial for Electronic Arts’ Dead Space 2.
Initially, I agreed with my mom’s assessment. It wasn’t until I read the Dead Space-related post on Victoria Capron’s blog that I reconsidered my opinion from a marketing standpoint. The commercial is undoubtedly silly; the appalled reactions of real-life mothers (200 of whom participated in EA-sponsored focus-group sessions) are juxtaposed with violent, cringe-inducing footage from the game. The promotional website highlighted in the ad – appropriately titled yourmomhatesthis.com – emphasizes the game’s Mature rating, which it garnered due to excessive “blood and gore, intense violence and strong language.”
So, as a woman in the commercial asks, “Why would they even make something like this?” The ad appears to be targeting teenagers and tweens, for whom parental outrage – and associative products that are “too cool” for the older generation to grasp – can be an appealing prospect. However, with its 17+ rating, the game is being marketed to a demographic that can’t legally purchase it. Additionally, the commercial is only shown in the evening, when viewership among kids is low. Therefore, there is a discrepancy between the ad’s apparent target market and those who will view the commercial and legally purchase the game.
Perhaps, as Victoria pointed out in her blog post, Electronic Arts is betting on children influencing the purchasing decision of their parents. But maybe Electronic Arts could better – or, at least, more accurately – market Dead Space 2 by promoting the game’s overwhelmingly positive reviews, rather than relying on shock value and hype to attract young buyers.