In one of my classes we were discussing the impacts of subliminal messaging and the brain. I thought it was pretty interesting how advertisers will put subliminal messages into their ad and hope that unconsiously the viewer will do as the message says. In some instances it has worked, but in others it has not come close. According to an article subliminal messages to in fact reach the brain if there the brain is not too busy doing something else. It says that what we pay attention to and what we are aware of is one of the same, because that is what conventional psychology says it is, but in fact it is not, according to the Independent in the UK. It shows that within our brain the primary visual cortex is responding to the subliminal messages even if we are aware of it.
So did the ad in 2000 that George Bush aired that had the word "bureaucrats" flash "rats" when it talked about Al Gore, really work in his favor for the campaign? There were no penalities towards Bush, because the advertisers said it was a mistake and didn't even realize it was there. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NPKxhfFQMs (youtube video of campaign ad)
If a President can put subliminal messaging within his campagin ad, who else can put subliminal messages in their stuff and have it work. Does it really motivate us to buy a certain product? I believe that the advertisers hope that the unconsious mind will in fact make us aware of what the message is saying and motivate us to buy something, but all in all I don't believe it works.
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