Subliminal Advertising: Does It Actually Work?
According to Forbes, digital marketing experts estimate the average person sees roughly 4,000 to 10,000 advertisements a day. They’re everywhere we go: on buses, in trains, on T-Shirts, carrier bags, online… Everywhere you look, there is a clear message: someone, somewhere, wants you to buy their product. So, it’s no wonder that people are concerned as to whether the ads they see are clear and truthful, or if some may hold something more subliminal.
But…What Is It?
Subliminal advertising is a concept where, in an advertisement, a symbol, word or image can flash in a single frame. It’s too quick for the viewer to recognise, but unconsciously, your brain still registers it.
Philip Merikle, a professor in the Department of Psychology in the University of Waterloo, likens subliminal messaging to auto-suggestion or hypnosis, “wherein the subject is encouraged to be (or somehow influenced to be) relaxed so that suggestions are directed to deeper (more gullible) parts of the mind.”
Eat Popcorn…Drink Coca-Cola
The concept of subliminal advertising dates back to 1957, when a market researcher named James Vicary inserted the words ‘eat popcorn’ and ‘drink more coca-cola’ into a movie. The words only appeared for a single frame — long enough for the subconscious to pick it up, but too short for any audience members to be aware of it happening. He then wrote of an increase in 18.1% of coke sales and 578% in popcorn sales.
However, this research was later revealed to be fabricated. Though it was a fake experiment, it still left a lasting impression and planted the possibility into many people’s heads.
The fears that the Vicary’s experiment had caused lead to the UK government making subliminal advertising illegal.
Subliminal Politics
During the 2000 US presidential race, a television ad campaigning for Republican candidate George. W. Bush showed words scaling from the foreground of a television screen. When the word ‘bureaucrats’ flashed on the screen, a single frame showed only the last part of the word: RATS.
No penalties were received when Democrats raised concerns over this advertisement. The effect that this ad had on the overall race is unclear.
Does It Actually Work?
There is no evidence to say that brands have used subliminal advertising — or that it has enough of an effect to sway people’s opinions. Most marketing professionals (in countries where subliminal advertising is still legal) steer clear of even considering subliminal advertising —not only is there no solid evidence that it could boost sales, but it is also an ethical issue that no PR company wants to handle if caught. If people found out that a brand had attempted to use subliminal advertising, they would face backlash from the public.
In the University of Utrecht in 2006, social psychologists conducted an experiment and did manage to find a way for subliminal advertising to work. Though, it isn’t quite the dangerous, mind controlling conspiracy theory that many like to talk about.
Their work suggested that subliminal advertising is only effective with products that people already knew, and somewhat liked. It did not sway their opinion dramatically — it only made the brand name more “cognitively accessible”. Because of this, it wouldn’t work with large brands like coca-cola, whom everyone is already extremely familiar with. A smaller brand, however, may well be able to use this to create a greater sense of familiarity with potential customers.
So, subliminal advertising could be a possibility if more research and studies are conducted to find out the most effective ways in which it can be used — but right now you can put your tin-foil hats back down. We don’t need to quite worry about an Orwellian mind-controlled society just yet.
SOURCES:
The 10 Best Subliminal Ads Ever Made, CBS News https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-10-best-subliminal-ads-ever-made/
Finding Success In The Digital World, Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2017/08/25/finding-brand-success-in-the-digital-world/?sh=87125dc626e2
Does Subliminal Advertising Actually Work?, BBC News https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-30878843
The Shocking Drink And Incredible Coke Theory Of Subliminal Advertising, Business Insider https://www.businessinsider.com/subliminal-ads-2011-5?r=US&IR=T
Subliminal Advertising, PsychologistWorld https://www.businessinsider.com/subliminal-ads-2011-5?r=US&IR=T
