Prof. gives presentation on subliminal advertising
February 17, 1988
A communications professor who spoke to a group of about 30 NIU students said 13 advertising firms in the Chicago area admitted to using subliminal advertising.
Charles Larson’s presentation was part of a ceremony to start Marketing Week. The American Marketing Association sponsored the event.
Subliminal messages allegedly occur in advertisements. These messages are processed by the subconscience and only are brought to the conscience when pointed out, Larson said.
He said most subliminal messages involve sexual connotations because “sex sells.”
There are three possibilities to explain ads which contain subliminal messages, Larson said.
“One possibility is it occurs knowingly, another possibility is it occurs unknowingly and happens during the cutting and editing processes, and the third possibility is that it does not occur, and it is part of our imagination,” he said.
This is a very controversial issue, but there are “subtle and significant differences” in the ads, Larson said. There are suggestions of improvements in the techniques being used, he said.
This year marks the 35th anniversary of subliminal advertising’s first known use, Larson said. “When advertisers are accused of it, they immediately deny it,” he said.
“Advertisers do not make the same mistakes so many times,” Larson said. This was in response to an advertising campaign for Smirnof Vodka that was discontinued after a story on subliminal advertising appeared in an issue of Playboy Magazine.
Larson teaches a communications class that deals with subliminal advertising and another that “touches on the subject,” he said.
“Most collegues disagree with what I have found until I point out the instances for them,” Larson said. “Now, they are bringing advertisements and pointing out instances to me,” he said.
Larson presented the group with a slide show of “dated” magazine advertisements. He pointed out elements from the advertisements to support his argument.
Subliminal images do not come only from “hidden pictures” in the advertisements, Larson said.
Patrick Kagan, American Marketing Association president, said he has noticed instances of subliminal advertising directed toward the gay community.
Other audience members said they have seen examples of subliminal advertising before the presentation.