Subliminal Mind Power

[dannyfrankszzz]

I recently read something on the effect of subliminal messages on the mind.

The basic premise was that our subconscious mind has more control over us than our rational waking mind. The subconscious controls our feelings and actions and is more powerful than our conscious mind, and that our subconscious holds the key to turning our wishes into reality.

The question is - how aware of our subconscious are we when we are acting?

Is subconscious the correct word? Didn't Freud call it the unconscious???

Also, in the article, the writer refers to how in the 50s, sudden images of soft drinks were displayed in the middle of films - obviously with the intention of selling the brand. He also talks about how when the film the Exorcist came out, there were sudden images of a demon appearing throughout the showing of the film - presumably to increase a sense of terror in the audience.

Anyway, just curious to know what the more informed of you out there might be able to suggest.

 

[Rex]

Subliminal advertising is a fraud and not real. I did a research paper on this once. Lemme dig it up.

 

[Rex]

Subliminal Advertising

Subliminal Advertising is based on the principle that images are presented by advertisers at a rate too rapid or in a form too disguised to be detected an observer, and that these images somehow penetrate one’s defense.







HOAX

James Vicary, an advertising expert, went into a 1950s movie theater to test his devious new tool for persuading others: subliminal advertising.

During the movie he allegedly flashed the commands "EAT POPCORN" and "DRINK COKE" so fast that the unsuspecting audience couldn't consciously see the words. Vicary claimed Coke sales jumped 18.1% and popcorn sales leaped 57.7%.

On that day, subliminal advertising was born.

Today subliminal advertising is banned by most major countries. The FCC in America outlaws it by simply saying subliminal advertising is designed to deceive. For that reason alone it is forbidden to be used by any radio or television advertiser.

Vicary's famous movie theater test has been proven to be a hoax. He didn't test it on the amount of people he claimed (50,000, which the small town theater couldn't hold), and he didn't keep an accurate count of popcorn or coke sales. In short, he wanted subliminal advertising to work in order to increase his consulting business as an ad expert. But all the research shows his method did not and does not work.

Subliminal advertising doesn't increase sales. Subliminal advertising allegedly works below your conscious level of awareness.

In 1962 Vicary granted an interview to Advertising Age in which he called his invention a "gimmick"



Look at it this way:



An example of subliminal advertising might be the famous claim that "images" in ice cubes in a liquor ad look like naked women. And even if there were faint images of naked women in the ice cubes, would that really influence anyone to buy more booze?

So why is it still here?

Despite the overall lack of evidence showing that subliminal advertising may be effective, a large percentage of consumers believe firms use subliminal advertising to enhance sales, and various surveys have demonstrated widespread public acceptance of the use of subliminal advertising. Several decades have already passed after Vicary claimed the power of subliminal advertising. If you want you can accuse him of giving advertising a bad name. So why do we still believe its here. It could be the scientific community that does a poor job of communication its findings, or it could be media that popularize urban myths, or it could be a few unethical advertisers trying to use subliminal tactics. Whatever the reason is, advertisers should pay attention to consumer opinions about subliminal advertising because these perceptions, whether true or not, influence their views on advertisements and the industry as a whole.

In fact, consumers spend about 50 million dollars a year on subliminal self-help products