Subliminal advertising 2
Subliminal advertising 2Subliminal Advertising
Is what we consciously see all there is to see? Subliminal advertising surrounds people all day long. It is “believed that one can influence behavior by secretly appealing to the subconscious mind with words, images and sounds” (Lenchnar 3). Throughout the years there have been many examples of subliminal advertising ranging from the word sex hidden in ice cubes to subliminal messages on Windows 95. Attempts have been made to discover the effectiveness of subliminal messages in television ads. Do these images really increase sales of products?
Subliminal messages are a by-product of hypnosis. It is a technique for bypassing the conscious mind and putting a message in the subconscious mind. Subliminal advertising first became publicized in nineteen fifty seven when Jim Vicary flashed “drink Coca-Cola” and “eat popcorn” on a movie screen so that it could not be consciously seen, but subconsciously absorbed (Lechnar 3). Vicary reported an increase in the sale of popcorn and Coca-Cola as a result of his subliminal messages. He was later questioned about his results. He had no evidence of his findings and admitted his results were false. This example brought the publics attention to the power that advertisers held over them.
In nineteen seventy nine about fifty department stores in the United states played music with subliminal anti-theft messages. The messages on the tapes were “I am honest. If I do steal, I will be caught and sent to jail” (Rogers 14). These sentences were replayed nine thousand times per hour. The results of these subliminal messages were remarkable. Theft was reduced by thirty-seven percent and one of the department stores saved half a million dollars by reducing shoplifters and employee theft. Consumers agree with this type of subliminal advertising because helps prevent theft.
There are many other examples of hidden messages. The most frequently found hidden message is the word sex. The word sex is found embedded on Ritz crackers box, Windows 95, the movie “The Lion King”, and hidden on ice cubes advertising Seagram Seven. “Advertisers have indiscriminately sexualized virtually everything they publish or broadcast with subliminal SEXes” (Lechnar 11). Even Diet Coke hides a female torso by masking it with bubbles and bold print to increase sales. Allegations were made that three Walt Disney movies contained subliminal messages. For example “The Little Mermaid” was accused of displaying a minister with an erection. In “The Lion King” the word sex appears in a cloud of dust, and in the movie “Aladdin” he is said to say, “Good teenagers, take off your clothes” (Moore 33). The Walt Disney company denies the use of subliminal suggestions in their movies but many viewers positively identified the hidden messages. Another subliminal advertisement is the face of Jesus in a fork full of spaghetti on a Pizza Hut...
To view the complete essay, you be registered.