While this technique is commonly dismissed as ineffective, not everybody is so sceptical. Caroline West of the University of Sydney, it is a form of mind control that ‘….aims to influence us in ways that we are unaware of, and consequently that we could not choose to resist even if we wanted to.’ Indeed, in 1974, a United Nations study went so far as to describe ‘subliminal indoctrination’ as a major threat to human rights. This sneaky practice was first brought to the public’s attention in Vance Packard’s pioneering book The Hidden Persuaders (1957.) It became the subject of widespread concern due to the fact that the viewer has no knowledge of what they see, and in the words of Dr. To be acknowledged by the audience, a message would need to remain visible for a duration of several frames. A frame lasts for 1/25 of a second, and its content will completely bypass conscious perception. In the 1950s, with the arrival of TV and the development of new psychological marketing techniques, single-frame messages started to be flashed onto the screen. Such imagery often tends to be dismissed as incidental, but this trusting attitude is undermined by the fact that, particularly with the advent of digital technology, visual adverts are rigorously designed and very little that appears in them occurs by chance. Unfortunately, the sharp-eyed people who spot these messages are often unfairly regarded as paranoid or prurient oddballs. Most common is the use of sexual imagery, the word ‘sex’ hidden inside an image, or written on the product itself.
It can be hidden inside an image so as to be recognisable only after careful examination. One method for bypassing the gatekeeper of conscious mind is to convey information subliminally. As it often attempts to bypass our conscious minds and influence the subconscious, it is no wonder that many people have learned to erect psychological defences against the stream of ads they see on a daily basis. While it was banned here in 1958, it quietly resurrected itself and is now permitted, and often happens in advertising.Īdvertising has always had a slightly shady reputation. In Australia, there is a widespread and partly incorrect perception that this technique is also prohibited.
Broadcasting messages below the threshold of normal perception is currently banned in many countries.
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