Subliminal advertising: does it really work?

Transcription

1 1 of 6 19/05/ :09 WEBSITE CREATION» CONTENT CREATION» DRIVE TRAFFIC» OUR WORK & US» BLOG FREE EBOOKS CONTACT Subliminal advertising: does it really work? THE ESTIMATED TIME TO READ THIS ARTICLE IS 6 MINUTES 10 Jul, 2014 Behind the scenes of Ireland s Made It series & Win Tickets CONTACT GAUMINA Pass it on... Looking for a new way to advertise your product? You re probably familiar with the idea of subliminal messages; a hidden message appears in a movie or TV show for a split second and it s enough to elicit a desire in the consumer to go out and buy the targeted product. It all sounds like a marketer s dream, but is there any truth behind it? Can a quick flash of an image really affect our buying decisions? SUBSCRIBE BY SEARCH THE BLOG to search type and hit enter OUR WORK Well to begin, it s helpful to take a quick look at what the term subliminal messages actually means. The word subliminal means below the threshold, and refers to messages (either auditory or visual) that are presented to us at speeds too fast for us to be consciously aware of. For example, it might be an image that is presented too quickly to be perceived by the conscious mind, and yet is perceived unconsciously. Over the years some extraordinary claims have been made concerning the powerful effect of subliminal messages. The most famous of these was made in the 1950 s by a market researcher called James Vicary. He claimed that almost 46,000 patrons at a movie

2 2 of 6 19/05/ :09 theater in New Jersey had been shown messages during the movies of either Eat Popcorn or Drink Coca-Cola. The images were allegedly shown for just a single frame, at speeds so fast that viewers didn t even notice them i.e. they weren t consciously perceived. Despite this, Vicary claimed that the subliminal messages had a powerful effect on the patrons behaviour, and that sales of both popcorn and Coca-Cola shot up as a result (18.1% increase in Coke sales and 57.8% increase in popcorn sales). Unfortunately, these impressive claims were never supported with any evidence and the whole thing turned out to be a hoax. In fact, Vicary himself later admitted in an interview that the original study was all just a gimmick. Nevertheless, the belief that subliminal advertising works is still widespread today. A number of studies on subliminal messages have been conducted over the years, with some claiming that they can indeed affect our behaviour. One study by a psychologist called Johan Karremans showed participants subliminal advertising for Lipton Ice Tea. When presented with a choice of beverages afterwards, Karremans argued that the thirsty participants were more likely to choose Lipton Ice Tea. Further afield other studies have been conducted on patients who are anaesthetized during operations to see whether they can recall information that was presented to them while they were asleep. Although the patients themselves say that they have no recollection of events that happened while they were asleep, indirect methods of examining what they can remember suggests that some information is perceived without any conscious awareness. So does subliminal advertising actually work then? It seems like there s some evidence out there to support the idea of subliminal messaging. However, to throw some confusion into the mix, for every study that supports the effectiveness of subliminal messaging, there are also others who have found evidence to say that it doesn t work. Research into the phenomenon is still ongoing and the jury is still out. So where does that leave us? For the moment, we ll let you be the judge! We ve gathered together some of the most commonly-cited examples of subliminal advertisements. Do you believe that advertisers have deliberately placed subliminal messages into these images? And more importantly, do you think they would affect your buying decisions?

3 3 of 6 19/05/ :09 A hidden dollar in this KFC burger to associate it with power and wealth..? (Who doesn t associate KFC with fine dining?) In 2000 George Bush was trying to make a point about Al Gore s healthcare proposals, but what attracted the most attention was the brief appearance of the word RATS as the word BUREAUCRATS flashed across the screen. The Democrats received ridicule for suggesting it was intentional political propaganda, and the Republicans received ridicule for their lack of attention to detail (and for the way that Bush mispronounced subliminal as subliminable ).

4 4 of 6 19/05/ :09 The true-meaning behind the Dodge Truck logo? A randomly shaped pile of ice on top of a can of Coca-Cola versus a deliberately placed silhouette of a lady. What s the verdict? We ll call this one a suggestive Burger King ad. Hardly the most subtle of subliminal messages. Maybe more of a parody of subliminal ads? A clever example of postmodern marketing in action perhaps

5 5 of 6 19/05/ :09 This ad for Heineken apparently resembles something else (?) when flipped upside-down. Sex sells and all that? To advertise subliminally or not? That is the question. Subliminal advertising is certainly a controversial topic in the marketing world today. The current consensus among marketers seems to be that using subliminal messages is a worthless or even damaging practice. At best, perhaps, it s considered to be an ineffective method of advertising there is little evidence to demonstrate that it actually works. On top of that there are ethical issues to consider is it okay to attempt to influence the subconscious minds of consumers without their awareness? And if those reasons don t deter you and you re still tempted to try it, you always run the risk of being discovered, creating uproar and putting your public relations team into overdrive. Is it really worth the hassle? Download a guide to Understanding your online customers and subscribe to our newsletter Get your Guide to Understanding online customers Author: Leah Tierney Consumer Gaumina Why not read these Related Posts? Presentations Tips Using Metaphors Create an Experience Dublin Digital Marketing Training Courses 2014 Quick and easy steps to write your Terms & Conditions Test before you invest Edit Related Posts

6 6 of 6 19/05/ :09 Pass it on... FROM THE BLOG FOLLOW US CONTACT SHARE Behind the scenes of Ireland s Made It series & Win Tickets What my shaver taught me about investment Planning a New Website? 5 Cookie Policy The Digital Hub 10/13 Thomas Street Dublin 8 Ph: Like Tweet Benefits of Investing in Content Mobile App design: Tried & Tested vs Carving your own path I have a great App idea, how do I go about developing it? Copyright 2014 Gaumina Digital Agency we always offer ongoing digital advice Find us on Google+ This site uses cookies OK WITH ME More info