| Conspiracy theories aside, almost every | | | | 3. Pictures at odds with the words |
| advertisement contains subliminal | | | | If you're not sure what I mean by this, |
| messages to help influence you. So how | | | | turn down the volume when you next watch |
| do you spot a subliminal advertisement | | | | an advert. Is it the same message as the |
| and what can you do once you've seen | | | | words that were being spoken? Well, if |
| through its disguise? | | | | the advertisement was for a car the |
| Well, your first task is to spot a | | | | answer is almost certainly "no". The |
| subliminal advertisement when you meet | | | | words will talk about how safe the car |
| one. So here are some clues to look for: | | | | is, how good its gas consumption is, how |
| 1. Beautiful smiling people | | | | reliable it is, that kind of thing. The |
| The favorite of alcohol advertisers | | | | pictures will be showing you how you can |
| everywhere. They're not allowed to say | | | | escape from the regular life you are |
| "you'll look sexier" or "you'll get more | | | | likely to live with your car. its highly |
| dates" if you drink their brand. There | | | | unlikely that the pictures will show a |
| are laws against them saying that. But | | | | regular commuter run. Instead you're |
| it's fair game to show the product being | | | | shown pictures of wide open roads with |
| consumed by people. So are they going to | | | | no other traffic. Or squealing around |
| populate their adverts with ugly | | | | tight corners in some picture postcard |
| drinkers or nice looking ones? Hmmm. | | | | town. So the subliminal message is that |
| Difficult question. | | | | your choice of car will help you to |
| 2. Negative commands | | | | escape. |
| "Don't read this". That kind of thing. | | | | These are all regular ways that |
| These help get round lots of rules and | | | | subliminal advertisements can creep up |
| regulations in the advertising industry, | | | | on us. They happen without the |
| especially where claims are concerned. | | | | advertiser having to do anything devious |
| One minor problem is that our | | | | like flashing messages briefly on the |
| subconscious mind - the place where | | | | screen or playing something backwards in |
| these subliminal messages is aimed at - | | | | the soundtrack. They'll pass any |
| doesn't process negatives. It just | | | | examination by an advertising regulator |
| carries on as though they weren't there. | | | | because they're squeaky clean as far as |
| So the cream that "Won't give you the | | | | our conscious minds are concerned. |
| results of a face lift" is being | | | | To be honest, the best protection from |
| perfectly legal when it says that in the | | | | this kind of subliminal advert is from |
| advert. The regulators are happy - the | | | | seeing it in its true colors. Once you |
| advertiser is telling the truth. The | | | | start to analyze an advert like this, |
| advertisers are happy - our brain | | | | you rob it of some of its power. Or at |
| processes the message as "give you the | | | | the very least you are much more aware |
| results of a face lift". So our | | | | of what the advertiser is doing their |
| subconscious mind immediately sends a | | | | level best to sell you. Make a decision |
| command to get our your wallet or purse | | | | based on this analysis rather than the |
| and buy the cream. Neat, huh? | | | | superficial style of the ad. |