Subliminal advertising provides messages or signals embedded within advertising that are designed to go unnoticed by the normal limits of perception. It is left up to the subconscious mind to pick up and decipher these messages and, some would argue, subliminal advertising is a big reason why we buy products.

However, critics of subliminal messaging in advertisement say they don’t work at all. In fact, Snopes.com conducted an analysis of subliminal advertising and came to the same conclusion. So, where did the idea that subliminal messages could increase sales come from? Apparently from market researcher, James Vicary.

Vicary pioneered the first “study” of subliminal messaging – though he didn’t coin the phrase – and claimed an experiment he conducted with flashing messages across a screen increased popcorn and Coke sales. He later admitted that he fabricated the results, but it was too late. People believed in the hoax and by then no one could convince them otherwise. The FCC banned subliminal messaging from all advertisements for a time, stating that the techniques, “effective or not” were “contrary to public interest.”

Advertisements today abound in subliminal messages usually centering on sexuality in some form. The infamous Vodka commercial that supposedly spells ‘SEX’ with ice cubes is widely known and often referred to; however, there are many more advertisers out there using subliminal messaging.

For instance, let’s take a moment to talk about cigarette advertisements. The UK cigarette company Benson and Hedges is frequently accused of using subliminal sexual messages in their ads. In one advertisement, they feature a man and a woman with the caption “If you got crushed in the clinch with your soft pack, try our hard pack.” The wording itself has sexual connotations, but the subliminal sexuality doesn’t end there. Upon closely examining the photo, the woman’s back appears to have a phallus and the candles surrounding the couple are phallic shaped, too. What could these symbols possibly mean? The obvious answer is that Benson and Hedges are promising sexual excitement with their product, but the more subjective answer may have more to do with sexual anxiety, since anxiety typically leads people to bouts of smoking.

But, subliminal messaging isn’t just used in advertisements. You can find them in unsuspecting places. Let’s take Disney movies, for example. Granted, Disney never intended to include such messaging in their films. However, one disgruntled employee made sure three of the top grossing films for the company had some form of subliminal messages in them.

The Little Mermaid VHS cover had a phallus shape on the castle architecture in the background. There was also some claim that the priest had an erection during the wedding ceremony, but that was proven to be his knee. Aladdin had a scene where he was on the princess’ balcony when Raja stalks toward him growling. At one point, Aladdin says, “Good teenagers take off your clothes” while trying to appease the angry cat. Lion King also received some heat for the scene where Simba plops down wearily on the cliff edge and the dust and leaves float into the air, spelling ‘sex.’

The messages are out there and subliminal advertising does exist. The question is, does it work?

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