I guess this was an obvious guess that I would be writing (also read as rant) on this. I find it extremely hard to believe that subliminal advertising will affect you at a subconscious level and plant the seed to evoke emotion / the necessity to buy the product. This is very similar to me saying I can get a voodoo doll and force the Sultan of Brunei to give me all his wealth or all the “Psychic reading available here” advertisements that you may see in tourist attraction spots (please don’t quote the show Long Island medium- repeat after me reality shows are fake).
In my opinion subliminal messages can’t control your behavior- they can only guide your decision
For example: If I do not smoke – showing an image of a Marlboro cigarette for a split second will not make me want to smoke. However if I am smoker, then yes it may make me want to smoke. For the sake of argument – let’s say it makes me want to smoke a Marlboro, how this is any different from me going to the concession stand to buy coke (the one you drink) and seeing a big advertisement for Marlboro cigarette and asking for it.
Isn’t the sole purpose of advertising a brand to attract customers to it?
The argument I had in class was two fold
- I don’t believe people can get influenced due to subliminal marketing – If you cannot convince people to believe in your brand using massive bill boards and advertisements and consumer outreach programs , then a split second wouldn’t do you any good
- So what if it evokes the emotion to purchase the product and that particular brand – Isn’t that the purpose of majority of the advertisements?
The person who sued and won the subliminal marketing case just had good lawyers similar to the one who sued McDonald chain for her spilling hot coffee on herself- it is hot coffee – it is supposed to be hot. This is just an example frivolous lawsuits and excessive lawsuits.
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