Controversial Sales Techniques: Subliminal Advertising
Subliminal messages have been used effectively in advertising to increase sales, and in films to induce fear – but, how do they work?
Subliminal advertising is the most controversial form of advertising, and has been banned in the US and the UK. The ban was made effective long before it was shown to be an effective sales tool, but that didn’t stop people going ahead and using it anyway…
Image by warrenski via Flickr
Subliminal advertising originated in 1956 with the American researcher, Jim Vicary. He collaborated with a New Jersey cinema owner to install a special projector to transpose images over the films already playing. These images were flashed so quickly, or printed so faintly, they were consciously in-perceivable to viewers. They first experimented with the words “Hungry? Eat popcorn” and “Drink Coca Cola” which, incredibly (especially to Vicary, who had never believed the idea would work), produced an approximate 50% increase in sales of popcorn, and an 18% increase in soft drink sales. This was tested by alternating the films they showed, half with subliminal messages, and half without. A storm of protest ensued in America, and was later repeated in the UK.
Here, a film producer, seeking to scare rather than sell, installed a similar device which projected the image of a skull and the work ‘Blood’ over horror films. Later, in 1974, pictures of a death mask were flashed onto the screen in the horror film The Exorcist.
Even more recently, American department stores also discovered a way to employ the technique, using auditory messages transposed over the piped music always playing in such shops. Messages such as ‘I am honest. I will not steal.’ were whispered rapidly, or so quietly they were consciously inaudible, yet were reportedly responsible for a dramatic decrease in shop-lifting.
Image via Wikipedia
The most sensational use of subliminal messaging was in 1990, when heavy-metal band Judas Priest were prosecuted for causing the suicide of two young fans, after allegedly transposing a subliminal message saying ‘Do it’ over a track. They were acquitted due to lack of scientific evidence the technique is effective.
The idea is that you only perceive whatever message is being projected or played on an unconscious level: you are entirely unaware of whatever you heard or saw on a conscious level, and if you respond to it will be unaware you’ve done so. Experts believe visual messages to be far more effective than sounds, and some psychologists even claim subliminal self-help CDs are useless. It is agreed, whether subliminal messaging works or not, it is unethical – hence it’s ban.
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User Comments
ceegirl
On November 5, 2009 at 10:39 am
Great article, thanks for sharing.
diamondpoet
On November 5, 2009 at 11:17 am
Coca Cola has been sending these messages out for years, at the movie theater why do you think we are always prompted to go to the concession stand?
lillyrose
On November 5, 2009 at 11:21 am
MMmmmm. I watch Derren Brown, I know it works! I think the shopping mall idea is great or in nightclubs and football matches they could use “don’t fight” and in schools “its not cool to be a bully” I think it could be a good thing, like the voice from the cameras that says “pick up the litter you just dropped!”
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