Mon 15 Sep 2008
TimeZoneOne is awesome! TimeZoneOne is awesome! TimeZoneOne is awesome! TimeZoneOne is awesome! Not very subtle but true.
While some brands like to advertise themselves the above way others prefer a different tact… subliminal messaging. Whether you believe or not there is small minority out there who think we are being brain washed to buy certain products based on advertisers tapping into the subconscious, of course these are the same people who say the moon landings were faked, that Bigfoot is real, and that JFK is living the high life in Colombia, having said that below is an example brought to you by the believers (TZ1 neither endorses or discredits this argument)…
“Subliminal messaging in advertising usually takes the form of optical illusions. A book called The Secret Sales Pitch - An Overview of Subliminal Advertising argues that optical illusions have been embedded in mass media in order to secretly manipulate consumers since the 1950s. These subliminal messages are extremely provocative, and involve nightmarish monsters as well as many forms of erotica. In addition, pictures with subliminal meanings understood only by your unconscious have secretly aroused your innermost fears and fantasies.
Most subliminal advertising concentrates on one thing… SEX, look at the following set of images as an example…”
Is that the guy’s leg behind Mr Snooker player or his… use your imagination.
What is he holding in his hand, look… then look again.
Do those ice cubes really spell out sex?
While these ones are a touchrude, there is also the down right funny (click to embiggen the image)
Looking at these its easy to say there may be nothing there, yet maybe there is - Benson and Hedges (example 2) were accused in the 70’s of advertising porn rather than product, or maybe subliminal messaging just attracts people with filthy minds, or maybe there are just a bunch of bored ad execs and designers out there looking to have some fun. At the end of the day there is no strong argument for or against subliminal messaging, it is really down to what you choose to believe.
To end off, a less subtle form of subliminal advertising is the product placement that happens in movies - from gratuitous close ups of Iron Man’s Omega Watch to the less obvious placement of Ford Expedition Cars in the Dark Knight (apparently the Joker’s Henchmen drive them). Here is a humourous look at how shameless advertising in movies can be…
Tim.
