A advertising poster for Electronic Arts PS2/PSP title Burnout Dominator has been labeled "irresponsible" by the UK's Advertising Standards Authority. Thirty-seven complaints were filed regarding the ad, which featured a wrecked car surrounded by broken glass with the slogan "Inner peace through outer violence." According to an ASA spokesperon;

The complainants described the advert as offensive as it condoned and was likely to encourage violence, dangerous driving and anti-social behaviour such as vandalism... The Advertising Standards Authority determined that the implication of the advertisment was likely to cause serious or widespread offence.

Stupid question. Brian Ashcraft

Eds Note: Multiplayer editor Ludovica was kind enough to send along the ad image. Many thanks!

Irresponsible Ad [Games Industry]

Here's the newest Nintendo ad. Or, rather, the sequel to that really boring one that literally confused half of Japan. This one's a bit more straightforward. A tutorial, really. Brian Ashcraft

New Wii Japan Ad [Go Nintendo]

Reader Jacob sent along pics of this Toronto PLAYSTATION 3 billboard. While looking at it, we didn't think about whether it was aesthetically pleasing or even had nice SPIDERMAN font, but rather: Isn't it waaay low to the ground to be a billboard? Baffled. Brian Ashcraft

PS3 Billboard Pics [Flickr, Thanks Jacob!]

This commercial for my favorite summertime fizzy drink Kirin Lemon features actress Ritsuko Tanaka, Yoshi and is 100 percent Nintendo approved. It's a few years old, but that jingle is catchy as hell. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Gay Gamer]

My interest in LocoRoco diminished significantly when the entire country of Japan decided the game sucked. I kept meaning to buy it, but waffled. Maybe it was as bad as everyone said. Maybe it wasn't. People I trusted and like (well, sorta) bought the game and raved about it. Unloved classic! Yet, the game's price plummeted quickly and copies turned up in spades at used game shops. And like that, LocoRoco fell off my radar.

Sony, showing a Microsoft-like refusal to admit defeat, has decided to give it another go. LocoRoco didn't fail. We failed LocoRoco. A new ad campaign is being launch to bring the game the success it deserves. Rather, the success that Sony thinks it deserves. The TV spots star one of my fav actresses Ryoko Shinohara. And just look at that photo from the commercial's shoot, everyone looks so happy!

Yes, I think it's time that Japan gives this LocoRoco another chance. (And I just might pick up the game in the bargain bins.) Brian Ashcraft

More Images Here [Watch Impress]

Couldn't see it when it was sunny, anyway.

Hmmm... Sounds slightly familiar. But, I hope this doesn't mean Sony has given up on its giant PSP billboard. Perhaps, they are simply replacing it with a pepto-pink one. Fingers crossed! Brian Ashcraft

Here at Kotaku, we're size queens. Bigger means better. (Unless, it's small and cool.) So when we saw this giant PSP display promoting Tekken at a Korean bus stop, we swooned and fainted. This 15:1 scale, non-playable portable, was encased in class around the Han River area in Seoul. Hit the jump for a pic of the folks flocking to this bus stop. More of this please, Sony and less of the stupid! Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Destructoid]

Looks like I'm not the only one that likes the 360 ads (I even dig those Japanese Xbox 360 ads for games that are MONTHS away). The American Advertising Federation awarded advertising firm McCann-Erickson with the Best of Show prize for its "Jump In" advert. The press release reads:

This extreme double Dutch jump rope jam metaphorically captures the excitement and social aspect of the new generation XBOX 360. It was shot completely in-camera in one take. This is a beautifully crafted piece of work, and the soundtrack is inspired.

Woah. That was shot in-camera? One take? No cuts, CGI or funny stuff? Impressive. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [AOL Joystiq]

Kotaku reader Scott sent us a heads-up on this incredibly fun Street Fighter Alpha Anthology ads. They were produced by the dudes who designed the US manuals and box art. Great stuff.

Hit the jump for 'nother nifty Street Fighter spot. Brian Ashcraft

Game site Aeropause points to this interesting maze-like PlayStation 2 ad. Not much info on it, other than it is actual maze written with only "PS2" and has an entrance and exit. It is a rather easy maze at that. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Aeropause]

AOL Joystiq's Conrad Quilty-Harper (best game journo name evar) stumbled across this odd War on Terror packaging at his local Canterbury HMV retailer. The shop's staff had stuck on stickers that say "Featuring a Canterbury Level!!". Nothing screams sure-fire sales like the promise of watching your town get destroyed. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [AOL Joystiq]

Naughty sister site Fleshbot points to a new hentai PSP games that allow adult companies to advertise within the title's storylines. Called Jo & The 7 Babes, the saucy UMD will be followed by a new rellease every month.

"These games will be innovative in the sense that if the gamer plays online using the Wi-Fi capability of the machine, he will be able to see advertising on billboards, clips on a TV screen, read magazine articles, and see a different logo on a character's T-shirt throughout the game," says the company's director David Penava. Moreover, players will eventually be able to send personalized porn greeting to mobile phones.

Yeah, the world could definitely so use more in-game advertising and porno spam, because gawd knows there ain't enough. (That's my ironic blogging voice, fyi.)

NSFW [Fleshbot]

Game blog Areopause points to a retro 7UP ad from 1982, staring Pac-Man. The sultry female voice and pizza-chasing red Pac-Man add to the commercial's charm, but that chugging noise sure is irritating.

Watch It Here [Daily Sixer]

Just how did Nintendo promote Famicom Wars DS in Japan? Strapping, young military men in undershirts and undershorts. The game's been out for almost a year in Japan, but the sentou hasn't been quite the same.

Update: Reader Eric stumbled upon the ad for the original Famicom Wars, showing that the DS ad is a sequel of sorts.

It's "Advance Wars DS" In English [Nintendo] Thanks, Jimbo!

One of the Odama commercials is pure day-glo and looks like Rub Rabbits leftovers. The other is pretty much what you'd expect: Japanese dudes in armor screaming. Is there a best way to sell a military pinballer?

Another One Here [GoNintendo]

Over in the U.K., ads that use pre-renders CGI footage are coming under fire. Earlier this year, Call of Duty 2 was yanked from British television after consumers complained that the in-game visuals did not match the commercial's. The country's Broadcast Advertising Clearance Centre was unaware of this practice.

"If this has happened in the past, it's happened without our knowledge. We ask all companies whether any imagery used is from the gameplay or is CGI footage from the game before we pass an ad for broadcast. The system is based on trust," said BACC's Matthew Baily.

Advertisers, BACC continues, are not being entirely honest with the use of CG, which is often generated just for the advert. Currently, spots for G.R.A.W. and Commandos Strike Force carry disclaimers that the images are "not in-game footage." Folks in the smoke and mirrors advertising world are surprised. "People have always used CGI sequences to advertise games, and I've never seen it as a massive problem," stated Uber Agency director Richard Benjamin.

Let's hear from y'all out there. Tell us whatcha think.

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More Here [MCV UK] viaGuardian Gamesblog

For those who don't have cable TV, live in North America or only read books, here's the Brain Age infomercial. It's appearing on the Discovery Channel and making people's parents suddenly "into gaming." Not sure what that means these days anymore...

Brain Age [Official Site] Thanks, Nikongmer!

Last fall, in-game advertising company Double Fusion brought on Yahoo Games General Manager Geoff Graber as the company's new CEO. "With more options becoming available for gamers in the next year, and as the industry continues to mature, we feel that the biggest days for in-game advertising are just on the horizon," Graber told GameSpot last November. With recent deals with Midway and THQ, things look bright for Double Fusion. Things for Graber apparently could be better. An insider just dropped word that the CEO has been "canned." Reasons for Graber's dismissal are not yet clear, but if this is true, things aren't so rosy at Double Fusion.

Eds. Update: Another insider sent us the following email about the situation at Double Fusion. It goes:

It didn't work. They let him go, and I'm sure they'll find a suitable replacement to lead."

Sure hope so! Thanks for the heads up.

Update This Page Please [Harper Collins]

For those living outside the United States or for those living in the United States without a television (gasp), here's the American TV ad for Tetris DS. It shows a buncha skydivers in multicolored jumpsuits forming Tetris pieces. Neato!

Watch Here [4ColorRebellion]