Nexus - 0207 - New Times Magazine-pages

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--I! less time than it took you to read these words, you perceived at least two subliminal messages in this article. In fact, it happened so fasv that these subliminal messages could have entered your U,-_ subcooscious mind, even if you had merely glanced at !bern wbile idly thumbing through this magazine. They may have already secretly determined your future behaviour. This is not the first time tl'iat you have uncoosciously perceived subliminal messages that could change your behaviour. It's happened to you before ­ thousands, perhaps millioo s of times. You are not alone. It has happened to virtually eveIY~e who watches televisioo, r,eads a popular magazine, takes in a movie, glX;,S sh9PPiPg in a major department or food store, sees a political poster or brochure, listens 110 the radio, rock'n'roll, or background music, handles m_oney or sees a billboard. In short, virtually everyooe in the westem world win> isn't the most dedicated oflhermits -is inundated by subliminals. Few have even the 'Slightest inkling that someone is communicating directly with the unconscibllS part of their being or shy it's being dooe, much less what they can do to protect themselves against it • or 'even why they should protect themselves. SUbliminal communication consists of presenting a stimulus -usually auditQry or visual, but they can be gustatory, tactil«, ,or olfactory (taste, touch, smell) -that is not perceived consciously or liminally, b.ut rathe.r s!4bconsciously or subliminally. What we deal with consciously we are likely 10 critique, analyze, or consider in a rational,pr ~ogical manner. What bypasses the conscious mind on its way UlIO the subcooscious we are much more likely to deal with in an uncritical fashion -and thereby carry QUt the inslrUctioos or suggestions subliminally communicated to us. Dr. N.F. Dixoo, a British psychologist, author of Subliminal Perception (which according to one ad agency president is their "operatiooal bible"), wrote: "It may be impossible to resist instructions which are not consciously experienced. There would seem to be a close parallel between these phenomena and those associated with, on the on:e hand,poslhypnotic suggestioo and, on the other, neurotic compulsive responses." Practically applied, subliminal communication can be very llseful to anyone who wanted to secretly manipulate the behavior of another. When it's used to seduce you into unconsciously buying, consum'ing, subscribing, auending, voting for the "right" candidate, remaining loyal to your brand of cigarettes or 'true to your favorite Scotch whiskey, it's called, subliminal seduction." Dr. Wilson Bryan Key, a psychologist with extensive experience in communications and advertising research, has published three popular books on subliminal manipUlation: Subliminal Seduclion, Media Sexploilalion, and Th£ Clam-Plale Orgy. In most instances, the manufacturers are totally unaware that subliminal advertising is being used to sell their products. In fact, many employed by the advertising industry are similarly unaware. But while the ad industry claims they are guiltless -whiter than white -it appears that some in their I3nks are blacker thiln black. Judge for yourself. Study the Kanon advert for a moment (next page)... According to Dr. Key's students, this ad appeared in so-called men's magazines, such as PentMuse and Playboy. How does it make you fed? Using a ooe way mirror, Dr. Key found that as people thumbed through a magazine cootaining this ad, each potential customer was ellp0sed to it for about one to two seconds. AboUL one in ten Stoppedl to read the copy. After all, how mucb is there to see? In the lower left-hand quadrant of this ad, we see an upturned left Ihand holding a bottle of Kanoo cologne. Tn the upper right, we see the right Ihand holding a knife. This is an awflllly oice picture of a hand holding a bottle of colQgJle. But how will that alone sell the product? Particularly since most of the millions of readers, who saw it will not recall it, nor will th.ey give it more than a glance. Yet the agency who handled the account, in all likelihood, tested its reliability and determined its sales capability before inserting it in high­ circulation men's magazines that cost a great deal of money for advertising space. According to Dr. Key, at the time this ad appeared, ,it would have cost about $55,000 to-run it ooe time in a magazine like Playboy. The artWork alone probably ctJsb $5,000 to $8,000-. Why would the admell' be so confident that a photo of 'a hand holding a bottle would, work? No promises, no coupons to send in, no suggestion of the immediate materialisation of beautiful women (if only you use it!). Alcohol product manufacturers plow about 6% of their gross receipts back into advertising. Based on industry norms, this ad would have had 10 sell about 1.2 million dollars ,worth of cologne just to break even, And! everyOl)e knows that the nice people who make KanOn cologne are in husiness to APRIL-MAY 1992 NEXUS-"