Subliminal Signals: All in the Mind

Sept. 12 -- Have you ever noticed the word “SEX” written in the dots of a Ritz cracker? How about the image of a naked woman disguised in ice cubes of alcohol ads or phallic symbols on a pack of Camel cigarettes?

At least one psychologist, Wildon Bryan Key, claims they’re there. But if you see them, their supposed subliminal message is not working.

“The name of the game is don’t get caught,” says Key, who has authored several books about subliminal advertising including The Age of Manipulation.

Subliminal messages are only subliminal if people don’t realize what they’ve seen. They are intended to work by tapping the unconscious mind of viewers or listeners and influencing them to think or feel a certain way.

That’s why Key and other psychologists argue the G.O.P ad that clearly flashes the word “RATS” as a narrator criticizes democratic health care programs is either a botched attempt at subliminal messaging or a coincidence.

What’s more, many psychologists argue that even if it had been an accurate use of subliminal advertising, it probably wouldn’t have worked.

Subliminal Legend

The concept of subliminal advertising first made a splash in 1957 when a marketer named James Vicary said he had subjected moviegoers to split-second messages urging them to drink Coca-Cola and eat popcorn. He claimed even though no one actually noticed the images, the messages reached the subconscious of the viewers and triggered an increase of popcorn and Coke sales by 57 percent.

The news sparked public outrage, fear and even talk of a ban by Congress and the Federal Communications Commission. The example is often mentioned in psychology textbooks, says Anthony Pratkanis, a psychologist at the University of California at Santa Cruz.

But what is often not mentioned, he says, is that Vicary’s study was a hoax. When psychologists later tried to duplicate the study and failed, the marketing entrepreneur admitted he’d made it all up.