Do you think subliminal advertising works? Does it have to be namebrand for you?

[ASTalumna06]

I found the article... http://www.parade.com/news/2009/01/how-subliminal-advertising-works.html

It states that consumers buy products that appeal to their unconscious assumptions. While subliminal can mean unconscious, subconscious, concealed or hidden, I don’t necessarily see this, by definition, as being “subliminal advertising.”

I googled “Subliminal Advertising articles” and these are some of the results:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070308121938.htm

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19025494.400-subliminal-advertising-may-work-after-all.html

http://www.firstscience.com/home/articles/humans/can-people-be-influenced-by-subliminal-messages_35805.html

The article discussed in this thread refers to what people "subconsciously" prefer, not what they subconsciously see, the latter being what most people probably think of when discussing subliminal advertising/messages.

An example of subliminal advertising: if anyone watched MTV around the time that Rockband 2 came out, you would have seen subliminal messages. A few times, during a couple different tv shows, a message would swiftly warp its way onto the majority of the screen, covering most of the show that was on, and then quickly disappear.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

I found the article... http://www.parade.com/news/2009/01/how-subliminal-advertising-works.html

It states that consumers buy products that appeal to their unconscious assumptions. While subliminal can mean unconscious, subconscious, concealed or hidden, I don’t necessarily see this, by definition, as being “subliminal advertising.”

I googled “Subliminal Advertising articles” and these are some of the results:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070308121938.htm

http://www.newscientist.com/article/mg19025494.400-subliminal-advertising-may-work-after-all.html

http://www.firstscience.com/home/articles/humans/can-people-be-influenced-by-subliminal-messages_35805.html

The article discussed in this thread refers to what people "subconsciously" prefer, not what they subconsciously see, the latter being what most people probably think of when discussing subliminal advertising/messages.

An example of subliminal advertising: if anyone watched MTV around the time that Rockband 2 came out, you would have seen subliminal messages. A few times, during a couple different tv shows, a message would swiftly warp its way onto the majority of the screen, covering most of the show that was on, and then quickly disappear.

Yep. That's what I read, and posted, but I totally forgot about the the beer article. That was in there too. That's what I meant by assumptions.

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by ASTalumna06

I found the article... http://www.parade.com/news/2009/01/how-subliminal-advertising-works.html

Ah. The article was in Parade. Much is explained.

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

I don't think it's actual subliminal advertising, but I do think making assumptions that something is better is a form of it.

It's not actual subliminal advertising but it is a form of subliminal advertising?

You can think that the sky is not actually green but is a shade of green to your heart's content, but the sky is still going to be blue.

Those are some of the examples I gave, but the clothing is more important to me.

Whatever. The point is you dismissed her examples of toothpaste and mouthwash by saying you were "referring to clothing" when you plainly referred to more than clothing. Next time we'll try to ignore what you write and instead try to intuit what is really important to you.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by DrPhil

cheerfulgreek,

Is this happening in your thread because you're you or because we don't know what you're typing about?

Huh? I don't understand your question.

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Ah. The article was in Parade. Much is explained.

It's not actual subliminal advertising but it is a form of subliminal advertising?

The article said that people were willing to pay more for the heavier remote vs the lighter weight one. Because it's heavier, doesn't mean it's better. That sounds unconscious to me. Maybe the company placed the wads of unnecessary metal in the remote for that purpose.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

The article said that people were willing to pay more for the heavier remote vs the lighter weight one. Because it's heavier, doesn't mean it's better. That sounds unconscious to me. Maybe the company placed the wads of unnecessary metal in the remote for that purpose.

That isn't ADVERTISING. It is a feature of the product.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by 33girl

That isn't ADVERTISING. It is a feature of the product.

That makes sense. Then why would they title the article "Subliminal Advertising?"

[MysticCat]

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

The article said that people were willing to pay more for the heavier remote vs the lighter weight one. Because it's heavier, doesn't mean it's better. That sounds unconscious to me. Maybe the company placed the wads of unnecessary metal in the remote for that purpose.

It very well may be an unconscious assumption that heavier is better. That doesn't mean that making heavier products is subliminal advertising. It is taking advantage of people's unconscious assumptions.

Subliminal advertising means that the advertiser is attempting to place an idea in your head without you being consciously aware of it. The "classic" way of doing this is by inserting a frame showing a word or image into film in such a way that someone watching probably will not be able to actually see or make out the word or image, but which supposedly will register subconsciously. Another standard example is the idea that some songs contain messages that can be identified when the song is played backwards.

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

That makes sense. Then why would they title the article "Subliminal Advertising?"

Because it was Parade magazine.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

It very well may be an unconscious assumption that heavier is better. That doesn't mean that making heavier products is subliminal advertising. It is taking advantage of people's unconscious assumptions.

Subliminal advertising means that the advertiser is attempting to place an idea in your head without you being consciously aware of it. The "classic" way of doing this is by inserting a frame showing a word or image into film in such a way that someone watching probably will not be able to actually see or make out the word or image, but which supposedly will register subconsciously. Another standard example is the idea that some songs contain messages that can be identified when the song is played backwards.Because it was Parade magazine.

Thanks MysticCat. I didn't see it that way. It all makes sense. But what's wrong with the Parade? I like the articles in there so much that I have it sent to me when I'm away from home, in school.

[ASTalumna06]

Originally Posted by MysticCat

Because it was Parade magazine.

Exactly what I was thinking.

Referring to the mayonnaise example at the end of that article... subconsciously, as a woman trying to lose weight, a person might buy the thinner jar, simply thinking, on some level, “I’d like to look like that.” That’s a subconscious preference, or... subconscious reasoning? ... not realizing that you’re making a decision based on what you’re feeling.

In the case of the remote, many people tend to think that electronics should be heavy. Up until recently, that’s always been the case. Now, electronics are becoming smaller, and lightweight, and incredibly advanced, but some people tend to revert to their old ways and think that the heavier remote will work better. That’s simply thinking logically. There’s nothing hidden here, except for the extra material in the heavy remote.

Besides, advertising is generally seen in a visual sense, not a physical one. The shape of a jar or the weight of a remote isn’t really an advertisement.

Then there’s the perfume example... it kind of reminds me of a Seinfeld episode, when Jerry and George are in the pharmacy, and they’re looking at medicine. The two of them have a different kind and they’re reading the ‘ingredients’ back and forth to each other. Eventually, Jerry asks George where they make his. He says Jersey, and Jerry responds, holding up his medicine box, “White Plains.” George gives him a look like there’s no question as to which one he should get, and he takes the box out of Jerry’s hand.

It’s like choosing a car. If someone tells me that there are two cars that are exactly the same, one is made in America, the other is made in Japan, I’ll probably buy the one from Japan. That’s based on the fact that Japan generally makes higher quality cars. Plus, the American-made cars that I’ve had in the past haven’t lasted as long as the one Japanese car that I’ve owned.

Again, the example that I gave concerning Rockband was subliminal advertising.

[epchick]

Originally Posted by cheerfulgreek

That makes sense. Then why would they title the article "Subliminal Advertising?"

Cause they are stooopid, or just trying to get you to open up the article & read it.

[cheerfulgreek]

Originally Posted by epchick

Cause they are stooopid, or just trying to get you to open up the article & read it.

lol

I dunno, I just thought it was a good article. I guess I'll call my mom and tell her that maybe it isn't so good after all.