- “PROGRAMMING THE NATION?” - Subliminal Blog & Examples

A 2007 study conducted by cognitive scientist Dr. Ran Hassin of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem Psychology Department, (originally published in The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Dec. 4, 2007), shows that subliminal exposure to national flags affects political thought and behavior.

The short video below which gives more details about this study, was originally part of a series produced by ScienCentral. There is one MAJOR correction I must make regarding what the host says - about the FCC having outlawed subliminal advertising in 1974.

The FCC actually issued a “policy statement” in 1974 which gave their stance on subliminal advertising. It was largely the result of public outcry on the issue generated by the book, “Subliminal Seduction” by Wilson Bryan Key, (whom we interviewed for our documentary).

But, “policy statements” are not the same as “enforceable rules” and the FCC does not give any details on what is, or is not considered “subliminal advertising.” Furthermore, the FCC has no authority over the Advertising Community, but rather only the Broadcasters that deliver their messages.

by Alan Baldwin

Original Article

Ferrari has removed the bar-code part of the paint jobs on its Formula 1 cars because of a claim that it is subliminal advertising for cigarette sponsor Marlboro.

The team said ahead of the Spanish GP: “With Philip Morris International we have decided to modify the livery of our cars.

“This decision was taken to remove all speculation about the so-called “bar code” which was never intended to be associated to a tobacco brand. We want to put an end to this ridiculous story and concentrate on things more important than such groundless allegations.”

Ferrari’s official team name is Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro and is the only team still sponsored by a tobacco company’The argument’s completely pointless, verging on the ridiculous’.

Marlboro branding does not appear on the car but recent media reports have suggested the prominent bar-code design could be in breach of strict European Union laws banning tobacco advertising because it resembled the lower part of a packet of cigarettes.

Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo hit out at the criticism earlier in the week. “I find this argument completely pointless, verging on the ridiculous, to claim that the colour red or a graphic design which shows a bar code could induce people to smoke.

“At a time when, on the other side of the Atlantic, they are fighting to provide a more equal health service, on the old continent of Europe so-called experts are racking their brains to come up with theories that have no scientific basis.” - Reuters

This is a funny example of how simple it can be to imbed sexual imagery in print illustrations.

Not recommended viewing for children

This is something we created for the film.

Did the biggest selling rock band of all time, Led Zeppelin hide subliminal satanic backmasked messages in one of their most popular songs “Stairway to Heaven”? We decided to conduct our own mini-experiment to find out.

Are there subliminal messages in Rock and Roll music? Allegedly, The Beatles hid such messages as “I buried Paul” and “turn me on dead man” in songs like “Strawberry Fields” and “Revolution Number 9″. Watch and decide for yourself if this is true or folklore.

On a conscious level this ad promises sexual excitement as a result of the product. Notice the couple embracing and the play on words “hard” and “soft”.

But, according to experts, advertisers often use techniques that stimulate unconscious anxiety or neurosis in the viewer to make a more lasting impact. Particularly in tobacco and alcohol advertising. We all know that people who consume cigarettes smoke more when they’re nervous. So, its perfectly logical that if you can create anxiety in the viewer, you can get the smoker to consume more cigarettes - and also make a more lasting subconscious relation to the product.

So, what is the subliminal effect of this ad? Take a closer look at the man’s lower hand resting against the woman’s lower back. See it?

Benson and Hedges Ad from August Bullock's The Secret Sales Pitch

The lady’s backbone has been carefully airbrushed to resemble an erect male phallus. See it?

I thought it was only fitting that the first video example on our blog was an actual clip from the Politics and VNR section of our film “Programming the Nation?”

Hope you enjoy…

JW