Larry the Ad Man's Blog

I hope you learn from my small business marketing and advertising tips.

"Advertising is to trade what Steam is to machinery" Thomas Cook.
It was an honor to be nominated for 2011 Canadian Weblog Awards.


Sunday, January 15, 2012

Subliminal Advertising, creative or immoral ?

Subliminal Ads are generally found in Television or radio ads, but also can be in print ads. They are illegal and many media will pull them if there is an accusation. Defined, subliminal means "existing or operating below the threshold of consciousness; being or employing stimuli insufficiently intense to produce a discrete sensation but often being or designed to be intense enough to influence the mental processes or the behavior of the individual: a subliminal stimulus; subliminal advertising."

Have a look at this KFC commercial. Some nice people on the video will point out a dollar bill hidden in the lettuce of the burger.
Some might argue it's creative, many would argue it's playing mind games. Researchers have said that the affects are neither strong or long lasting, yet it is frowned upon in this industry. Would making this legal open up a slippery slope of brain washing? It was once believed that propaganda movies during the second world war did exactly that, but contemporary research does not back that up.

You will see many claims of print ads and logo's of a sexual nature. Many phallic symbols seem to find their way into relatively benign photographs and drawings. Have a look at this Blog on it (http://www.artistmike.com/Temp/SubliminalAd.html ) . It seems artist Mike had a one track mind in this one? And Sex again takes the front row on this urban legend from Red Dog Beer:
Do we really think the graphic artist that made this logo had intentions on Batman doing this when thinking about how to help sell some beer?

You be the judge... click on the google ads to the right of this Blog.... Subliminal advertising. Creative or Immoral? Would love to heard from you.. until next time, I am "Larry The Ad Man."



1 comment:

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