The concept of subliminal
advertising and research
concerning its effects are almost 100 years old. It is a form
of neuro marketing tactic followed by marketers. Subliminal
means beneath the sensory threshold. This is derived from the Latin words
sub, meaning under, and limen, meaning threshold.
A subliminal message is a sign embedded in another
medium, premeditated to pass below the normal limits of the human
mind's perception. It is a technique of exposing consumers to
product images, brand names, or other marketing variables without
the consumers being consciously aware of the same. In the
revamped lexicon, a subliminal message is known as a `prime' or
`visual drumbeat'. These primes are in the form of quick bursts of
images lasting for one to three frames and have been used in commercials
to convey edginess and mood. Subliminal messages are assumed
to function as auditory primers. Subliminal messages
are unrecognizable by the conscious mind, but in certain situations
can affect the subconscious mind (unconscious mind) and
can negatively or positively influence subsequent later
thoughts, behaviors, actions, attitudes, belief systems and value systems. It is
a common type of manipulative advertising. These ads
primarily work on sex appeal. The primary objective of
subliminal advertisements is to persuade individuals to make
involuntary purchase decisions. There is an extensive litany of
subliminal messages found in print, film, as well as in the television media.
It is scientifically proven that subliminal messaging or
advertising can produce quantifiable results. Numerous cognitive
researchers believe that the crucial time scale for human information
processing lies below one second. At any
given moment, when viewing a scene before us, our eyes transmit and
our brain deciphers literally millions of separate pieces of information.
Our brain processes all this information through a subconscious
filtering system named the Reticular Activating System (RAS). |
