What is subliminal advertising? 3 practical examples
Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2025 9:11 am
On September 12, 1957, a market researcher called a press conference in New York and surprised reporters with his announcement: he said that during a film, he had repeatedly flashed the phrases "Drink Coca-Cola" and "Eat popcorn" at such a speed that people couldn't consciously read them, yet sales of these products increased by 57.7% and 18.1%, respectively. This was James Vicary, who dubbed his idea "subliminal advertising." His experiment was later revealed to be a fraud, but the seed had been planted.
example of subliminal advertising
What is subliminal advertising really?
Subliminal advertising is france phone number data advertising whose message is transmitted below the threshold of consciousness, whether through images, sounds, or other techniques that are not easily perceptible. The goal of this type of advertising is to influence consumers' desires by generating impulses and needs that encourage them to purchase or perform a certain marketing action, but without them being aware of this influence.
3 examples of subliminal advertising
Subliminal advertising often uses hidden images and visual illusions that play with shapes to create different images that trigger different emotions. Many brands resort to these advertising tricks when, for legal reasons, they cannot directly promote certain products or services.
Marlboro: In the late 1990s and early 2000s, its cigarette advertising in Formula One was questioned, so advertisers turned to the image of a barcode to subliminally convey the logo and further reinforce brand identity.
FedEx: This company has also used visual effects to reinforce its brand image, linking it to speed of service. Its name can be seen in its logo, but between the letters E and X, an arrow formed by the white space conveys a sense of speed, precision, and efficiency—the values this company seeks to emphasize.
KFC: Subliminal advertising also includes high-speed frames. In 2006, KFC used this idea in its Buffalo Snacker ad. To get people to pay attention to the ad, it introduced a special message that could only be detected by watching frame by frame. However, the fast-food brand went a step further: the message was interactive, displaying a code that, when entered on the KFC website, generated a discount coupon for a Buffalo Snacker.
example of subliminal advertising
What is subliminal advertising really?
Subliminal advertising is france phone number data advertising whose message is transmitted below the threshold of consciousness, whether through images, sounds, or other techniques that are not easily perceptible. The goal of this type of advertising is to influence consumers' desires by generating impulses and needs that encourage them to purchase or perform a certain marketing action, but without them being aware of this influence.
3 examples of subliminal advertising
Subliminal advertising often uses hidden images and visual illusions that play with shapes to create different images that trigger different emotions. Many brands resort to these advertising tricks when, for legal reasons, they cannot directly promote certain products or services.
Marlboro: In the late 1990s and early 2000s, its cigarette advertising in Formula One was questioned, so advertisers turned to the image of a barcode to subliminally convey the logo and further reinforce brand identity.
FedEx: This company has also used visual effects to reinforce its brand image, linking it to speed of service. Its name can be seen in its logo, but between the letters E and X, an arrow formed by the white space conveys a sense of speed, precision, and efficiency—the values this company seeks to emphasize.
KFC: Subliminal advertising also includes high-speed frames. In 2006, KFC used this idea in its Buffalo Snacker ad. To get people to pay attention to the ad, it introduced a special message that could only be detected by watching frame by frame. However, the fast-food brand went a step further: the message was interactive, displaying a code that, when entered on the KFC website, generated a discount coupon for a Buffalo Snacker.