Subliminal Advertising And The Media

Today’s society is faced with a plethora of media appealing to their emotional state by advertising the basic human need, to eat. The images that we see each and every day of our lives appear in media such as, magazines, billboards, television, during movies, and on the internet. These images are artfully recorded as film or photographs in such an advanced way that they tempt and tease our senses, inviting us to purchase and eat such a wonderful product (Cyberpat.com, 2013). Our senses are bombarded with messages constantly and are extremely sensitive to the messages they receive. The sense of sight and sense of smell are particularly sensitive and have a special connection with the processing of messages that affect the emotions Croy, Schirato and Webb, 2004). This is often referred to as The Hedonic Experiential Model. It is refers to the way consumers process information based on the concept that purchasing decision may be spur of the moment or irrational. This model reflects the emotions of the consumer, which more than likely, have been influenced by advertising or visual propaganda. (Clow) It is with little wonder that advertising or mass media propaganda, are expressed utilising the senses, and in particular, the sense of sight (Alden and Steenkamp et al., 1999).

Subliminal messages are messages that are perceived in the unconscious mind that most of the time we are not aware of. These messages are mainly designed to influence that way we think and feel. They are used to get people to buy products from their company. Subliminal messages can be perceived auditory or visually. Subliminal messages should not be legal and should be banned from being used in advertisement for it can lead to negative results. There should be another way to advertise that. Doesn’t involve manipulating our minds into buying the products.

Subliminal messages were first though to have shown up in movie theaters, when a projectionist flashed the words “Drink Coca-cola” and “Hungry…Eat popcorn” across the movie screen. He created fake statistics about how popcorn and cokes increased after he showed the subliminal messages. Warwick’s film brings forward the question as to if subliminal message are still being used today. He discusses the history behind subliminal messages found in music, movies and advertisements. Warrick gives the examples of songs played backwards will tell listeners to worship Satin, but he disproves this by showing three groups of high schoolers the same song but telling them different lyrics and them agreeing that those were the lyrics they heard. Not only does he discuss how media uses subliminal message but about they appear in politics as well. One example used was during the Bush- Gore campaign in the early 2000s, when the word “RATS” appeared in one of the political commercials. The film refers to these messages as subliminal but they are more like subconscious side effects by seeing something that marketing professionals want you to see and then you wanting them, like movies using

Advertisements surround us constantly, and according to Potter, the average person is exposed to more then 15, and upward of 5,000 different advertisements (Potter, 2014, pg.235). These advertisements send us subliminal and direct messages that intrigue us to look further into the product. Advertisements continually present the same kind of messages, and although certain advertisements are geared towards you buying a product, they are teaching “valuable life lessons about whom you should be and how you should get there” (Potter 2014, p. 242). These subliminal messages persuade you to buy the product being advertised, or at least be more interested in said product. This essay will demonstrate that the persuasion tactics used in Skittles’ “Romance” commercial advertisement support Rank’s Model of Persuasion through the representation of association, repetition, and diversion.

In an article by Oscar Godbout called “Video Group Bans “Subliminal” Ads” “The Code Review Board of the National Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters announced a recommendation to its members that any proposals to use the television medium in the process called subliminal perception be referred to the board immediately for review and consideration. A ban, at least for the time being was put on the use of the technique by which advertising messages are said to be impressed on a viewer without his being aware of it.” One might consider the idea of impressing advertising messages onto consumers without knowledge to be wrong, which in my opinion is slightly corrupt because I agree the companies advertising are doing it to promote goods and services, but going to the level of impressing messages without people knowing to make more money off them is

Subliminal messaging in the form of signs makes people do things unconsciously. The book gives a great example of how one of the authors, Sunstein, witnessed subliminal messages that constantly reminded people to drink water when he and his daughter traveled to Chicago for Lollapalooza (p.247). It can be argued that subliminal messages don’t fall under the category of a

Dave Ramsey, America’s most trusted financial adviser and a radio show host, once said, “We buy things we don't need with money we don't have to impress people we don't like.” (Ramsey). Ramsey’s quote reflects the state of consumerism that our society is going through. Most of us can easily relate to this quote, let’s be honest most of us have been there done that and then later question our genuine need for whatever we have bought. Regardless, if we feel guilty or not we ought to ask ourselves why and what made this purchase seems so important and necessary at the time. Although this might not come as a surprise to most of us, the answer would be the advertisement industry. In 2016, The United States has spent more than 198 billion U.S dollars on advertising, making America the leader in advertisement in the world (Statista). These ads are designed to force consumers to keep buying things that are unnecessary by sending subliminal messages and applying psychology to trick the consumer into a spending spree. In his short story, “Subliminal Man”, J.G. Ballard uses science fiction approach to illustrate to his readers the preposterous techniques that the advertising industry has been using to boost consumerism. Ballard believes that the consumer’s brain has been tricked into buying against their well, by using technology and applying subliminal technics. Ballard short story questions the effect of consumerism on our moral values, lifestyle, and behavior. Ballard claims that

Advertisers and marketing companies are mostly interested in subliminal manipulation because by targeting consumers’ subconscious mind, they can control their involuntary actions, emotions and beliefs. The subconscious part of our mind is able to process around 20,000 pieces of information per second, where as our conscious part can only cope with about forty. This function explains why any subliminal message that our subconscious receives, can be received and responded to by consumers without them ever being aware of it. This form of mind control can be very powerful if used correctly, it could influence consumers to want and buy a product without their control (Winder).

The viewer sits on the couch, nestled inside a cozy, warm blanket with a large bowl of buttery and salty popcorn on his lap. His heart starts racing as the movie reaches its climax. Just as his lungs stop breathing and his eyes grow wide with fascination, the channel changes to an old advertisement that he’s seen a thousand times. Ads like that one appeal to the three main techniques that have subliminal messages to viewers. These different techniques have proven to be effective with television watchers. Advertisers use these three techniques to target a certain audience.

Subliminal perception is the reaction to a stimulus that occurs without awareness. In other words, subliminal perception is kind of like mind control which can influence your thoughts, feelings, and actions. And in this paragraph I will argue that is does exist. One reason to believe subliminal perception exist for example, subliminal messaging occurred when BBC first began broadcasting radio people thought that it was “the voice of the devil”. Thus, in order to change their perception about the radio BBC took particular phrases using backward masking in their jingles which in the end worked.

In order to be able to identify subliminal messaging in various medias, one must know the definition of subliminal. Subliminal is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as, “(of a stimulus or mental process) below the threshold of sensation or consciousness; perceived by or affecting someone’s mind without their being aware of it.” This definition can be confusing, so using further research, Psychologist World gives a more layman’s term definition and the overall goal of subliminal messaging as a hint that is used to bypass the normal mental process.

This was greatly adapted in the 1950’s and has moved onwards, becoming more common in the present. Subliminal advertising largely started in movie theaters, where in cinemas they would strew messages saying “drink Coca-Cola (Sheehan, K. B. 2013).” The “drink Coca-Cola” was a phrase that would appear on the screen during the start of the movies and during the intermission and it would subconsciously impulse the viewer to buy Coca-Cola from the food court. Coming into the future this method is used in videogames where while playing you are met with company logos upon starting the game and thereafter shown products from other companies that are placed within the game. Some of the oldest advertisements that appear are from canned beverage companies and now newcomers such as car companies are coming into play, all the while polluting our screens with more subliminal advertising. The introduction of subliminal advertisements into video games has become the next step for many companies taking advantage of a person getting engulfed in the game screen in front of them. In relative concept, companies are taking advantage of the real estate that is your television or your computer and even your mobile phone to get you to buy their products.

The theme for this “The Subliminal Man” is how people are unknowingly allowing themselves to be controlled by advertisements. People put their trust into the government or the companies that they have always shopped at to want to do what is best for their shoppers, when in reality they only do what creates the most income or has the most income for them. “Ultimately we’ll all be working and spending twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. No one will dare refuse. Think what a slump would mean- millions of layoffs, people with time on their hands and nothing to spend it on.” This quote exemplifies the theme because it shows how the government increases prices on everything to keeps jobs, but this means more hours must be worked to pay for all of these things, and that means less free time to just be human. “BUY NOW BUY NOW BUY NOW… NEW CAR NEW CAR NEW CAR… YES YES YES YES YES” This is an example of how once a person slows down and looks around them, their will be opened to the little seeds planted in their minds everyday that drive them to think the way they do

Chapter four is titled "I Can't See Cleary Now." Chapter four is about subliminal advertising, and the exploration of further subliminal advertising. In 1957 James Vicary who was a market researcher surprised people about his claim that a Coca-Cola ad flashing on a screen could influence their decision to buy. In chapter three on page twenty-eight Lindstrom explains about subliminal advertising and some examples of what it may be. He explains that “Generally speaking, subliminal messages are defined as visual, auditory, or any other sensory messages that register just below our level of conscious perception and can be detected only by the subconscious mind." Lindstrom then explains that when people are exposed to articles or news stories about subliminal messaging or advertising they feel as if they are not being fooled, he states that's how most people react "whether it's a report of a McDonald's logo flashing for one-thirtieth of a second during the Food Channel's Iron Chef America Program (a spokesperson for the Food Channel claimed it was a technical error), or an unfounded rumor that a cloud of dust in Disney's The Lion King spells out s-e-x."

“Advertising is far from impotent or harmless; it is not a mere mirror image. Its power is real, and on the brink of a great increase. Not the power to brainwash overnight, but the power to create subtle and