Business Commons^™

The Effects Of Subliminal Messages In Print Advertisements, Jamie Lynne Wilfong

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

One very controversial topic within advertising is subliminal advertising. There are many studies about the subject of subliminal messages and their effects (Trappey, 1996). This type of advertising uses subliminal stimuli, messages presented so fast or so softly or so masked by other messages that one is not aware of "seeing" or "hearing" them (Hawkins, Best, Coney, 1995). When marketers put subliminal messages in advertising, they create subliminal advertising. Subliminal advertising, therefore, involves the use of words, pictures, and shapes that are purposely inserted into advertising materials so that the viewers of the material perceive the imagery at a subconscious …