Subliminal Msg Essay

Subliminal messages:
Are you controlling your choices?

Abdelkarim Khinkarly

Are you controlling your choice?

Now a day advertising campaigns are using a new trick, called subliminal projection to promote a brand, and at the end you find your self buying it. This technique was used by the American army in world war one, now a days it is used by huge corporation. This method is so effective that the statistical figures are worrying. (vicray.J, 1957) (motluk.A, 2006)

One of the definition of a subliminal message, it is a "signal or a message designed to pass below the normal limits of perception" (Shah, 2007). Subliminal messages target the subconscious level of the mind. It may be used in the form of an drawing or an image transmitted briefly and not analyzed consciously but perceived unconsciously. While the rational, conscious mind acts as a filter and block messages that does not agree with our belief. The subconscious mind accepts the message without filtering them; like the mind of children.

The term subliminal message was popular in 1917 in the First World War. The US army would hide messages into songs and place unseen   messages in poster trying to get people to volunteer and join the army. In the present time this technique is probably not used by the army but it is used by the corporations. Where big budgets are spent on developing adds containing subliminal message. A study made in 2004 shows that Mc Donald's spent 2.4 billion dollars on advertisement of which 1.3 billion dollars is spent on subliminal message, like toys, billboard, TV add….   (Spurlock, 2004)

A recent experiment has been made, where scientist found that 80% of those subjected to a subliminal advertisement chose the product, compared to only 20% of the control group. Another watershed discovery was made, "Priming only works when the prime goal relevant" says Karremans from the journal of experimental social psychology). In other word you are likely to purchase a...