To the untrained eye, he is an innocuous, clean-cut guy in a tie. To gamers, he is much more. Kevin Butler’s steady eyes and unassuming posture are enough to elicit raucous laughter from audiences around the globe, who recognize Kevin as the “Dear PlayStation” chap from those ridiculous TV spots. With timeless wisdom and dozens of absurd titles (“VP of Shaking What His Mother Gave Him”, anyone?) he has not only won the hearts and minds of the gaming crowd, but also serves to remind us that gaming is meant to capture the spirit of fun — an important lesson for an industry that sometimes takes itself way too seriously.
Always standing at the ready to dispense absurd witticisms and blatant misinformation, it’s time to pay tribute to the antics of Mr. Butler.
Respecting the elders:
Fed up with his grandma using his PS3, some spoiled brat calls Kevin to complain. Unfortunately for said brat, Kevin knows just how to put lil’ kids in their place. Of course, proper comedic punctuation requires this frustrating scenario concludes with a loud, obnoxious slurping sound.
Laying rumors to rest:
Every major organization needs someone to help quash the rumors, because that piques the curiosity of people who typically wouldn’t give a damn about what you do. Mr. Butler is indeed up to the task, in this classic version 2.0 of the “Rumor Monger” spot. FYI, the original version was edited after a complaint from a Nigerian minister.
Ignoring your lady friend, just like you do
Now this is a fine example of Sony allowing the game to speak for itself. Sure, you could listen to Butler give an explicit rundown of the incredible graphics of the latest Uncharted in a similar ad, but here is the purest of scenes in which the game simply commands everyone’s attention. That includes ol’ Kevin, who just keeps mashing away and ignores the frustrated gal. So real, it’s funny.
Showing cultural sensitivity:
We all know Canada is great, but here’s another reason to envy them: their very own Kevin Butler commercial. To announce the video delivery service for Canada, the K Man saunters around cracking off absurdities quicker than you can stifle your own laughter. Does he have any idea what Canada really is? Maybe not, but with an ad this good, we can forgive him. Probably.
Telling Nintendo to Suck It:
No surprise that Kevin’s being put to good use for promoting the PlayStation Move, and that means more great spots. While they’re all entertaining, I would have to say this one takes the cake. Taking several opportunities to ridicule the simplistic Wii games, Kevin pulls out the big guns and… well, starts flailing his hands effeminately.
Given his popularity, it’s safe to say we’ll be seeing a lot more of Kevin in the future. Even better, this puts pressure on competing companies to wring out some mascots of their own. One wonders if Mario should be worried.
