#SUBLIMINAL MESSAGES IN ADVERTISING MOVIE#

Although it’s not illegal, the FCC will revoke the licenses of any company that uses subliminal or deceptive marketing. However, if we notice something, is it subliminal? I’m guessing the answer to that would be no. Subliminal from SNL’s Weekend Update in the 90’s, who always gave a hilarious parody to the notion that our minds could be controlled by subliminal means? And of course, who can forget Kevin Nealon’s character, Mr. Why would so many brands try subliminal images and messages if they didn’t work? The Simpsons use it, KFC and Coca-Cola have done it, there are even many famous logos that are intended to have hidden images. The pervasiveness of this idea has infiltrated so many brands and even many areas of pop culture. So could it work? Keep reading, I get to that at the end.

I would guess that everyone reading this believes that subliminal advertising is a thing that has, or at least could work. Since this fabricated study, there have been numerous others that have been conducted.

Vicary conducted this study over a six-week period and claimed to have increased popcorn sales by 50 percent and Coca-Cola sales by 18 percent compared to the previous period. Here’s the problem, it was all made up. Yep, when other researchers couldn’t replicate these results, he admitted it was completely fabricated. Psychologist James Vicary projected images on the screen at 1/3,000 of a second urging viewers to “drink Coca-Cola” and “eat popcorn”.

#SUBLIMINAL MESSAGES IN ADVERTISING MOVIE#

It all began in a Fort Lee, NJ movie theater in 1957.

Subliminal messages in advertising