In order to aide the design development of the two books I plan to produce in response to this brief I have begun to collect a more succinct body of research which will form the content of the proposed exhibition which the books are based on.
The subject of Subliminal Messaging is vast and there are many opposing opinions and theories about the subject, I have already decided in my initial development that the proposed exhibition shall take a scathing perspective on the subject, aimed at exposing Vicary's lies and the negative implications of subliminal messaging. This will therefore inform the nature of the research I will collect for the content.
As I am designing for two very different target audiences any research I do collect will need to be refined further and analysed in terms of effectiveness for each target audience. For example, something that would theoretically be included in the exhibition book may not be appropriate for a child, therefore for each of the areas I wanted to cover I aimed to collect as much research as possible.
1. James Vicary's Experiments
2. Historical Examples
3. The Implications of Subliminal Messaging
4. A World of Subliminal Messaging
5. The Future
James Vicary's Experiments
- James McDonald Vicary
- 30th April 1915 - 7th November 1977
- a market researcher best known for pioneering the concept of subliminal advertising with an experiment in 1957
- It was later suggested that the results of his experiments had been fraudulent
- Vicary was unable to ever reproduce the results of his experiments
- Vicary himself admitted that he had never conducted the subliminal “experiment” — it was concocted as a gimmick to attract customers to his failing marketing business.
- Based on his claims the CIA produced a report "The operational potential of subliminal perception" in 1958 that led to subliminal cuts being banned in the US
- It suggested that “Certain individuals can at certain times and under certain circumstances be influenced to act abnormally without awareness of the influence”
- he claimed that an experiment in which moviegoers were repeatedly shown 0.03-second advertisements for Coca-Cola and popcorn during a showing of the film Picnic, significantly increased product sales
- causing a 57.5 percent sales increase for popcorn and an 18.1 percent increase in Coca Cola sales
- Although Vicary lost a lot of credibility after accepting his false claims, marketers still use his fake theory to attract customers
- Vicary later retracted his claims in a television interview, but Vicary’s original claims spread rapidly and lead to widespread acceptance of subliminal messaging to the present day.
NOTE: Despite evidence that Vicary's claim was fraudulent there is still a widespread belief that subliminal messaging exists based on this experiment. Perhaps this is because our curious minds want to believe in conspiracy theories.
Historical Examples
PROPAGANDA DEFINITION:
- Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote a political cause or point of view
- Information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation, etc.
- The deliberate spreading of such information, rumors, etc
An early example of subliminal messaging can be tracked back to wartime Propaganda. The aims of these pieces weren't necessarily to sell a product such as the examples of the modern day but to in fact encourage a most commonly biased belief within the audience using undetected psychological and emotional techniques within design
Alfred Leete, 1914
- Cover illustration for London Opinion Magazine 5th September 1914
- Emphasis on the word "YOU" thereby targeting the viewer directly - Are YOU doing YOUR bit?
- Harsh stare - Scaring the viewer into signing up?
- Making the viewer feel like they can do their but in order to help the war effort
- Powerful pose
J. Howard Miller, 1943
- Associated with Rosie the Riveter, a powerful female figure
- Initially used internally in Westinghouse to boost the morale of the female workers
- "We Can Do it" - Positive language
- Rediscovered in the 1980s
Unknown, 1943
- Hitler, Mussolini and Tojo have been reduced to comical cartoon figures
- It speaks to the hatred all soldiers feel for their enemies and the lengths to which they and their superiors went to dehumanize the men they were tasked with killing
- Reminded the men who fought for them that the enemy were monsters
Saville Lumley, 1914-1915
- Emphasis on the word "YOU" - Have YOU done your bit?
- Manipulating emotions every father wants his children to be proud of him
- Use of the word "Great" - suggests you'd be missing out on a piece of history
- Guilt-inducing poster
Harald Damsleth, 1944
- This particularly famous image depicts the Americans as a domineering force and characterizes many of their negative aspects, such as being money grabbing, racist, over-sexualized and all-empowering
- Showing a biased view of America, only it's negative aspects
- Depicting America as some sort of monster
Dal Holcomb, 1942
- The man wears a black suit and bowler hat - Stereotypical British man? Suggesting Britain are the weak link? Could sabotage the war effort?
- The sleeve is visible, and is decorated with the stars and stripes, indicating that Uncle Sam - a stereotypical american - is warning him to keep quiet
- The man appears to be shocked by the hand, suggests he isn't even aware he was doing something wrong - Can be easy to sabotage without you even knowing, need to be careful
Weimer Pursell, 1943
- Aims at encouraging the audience to conserve "gasoline" for the war effort.
- Suggestion that wasting supplies will aide the enemy in the war - guilt
- The man in the car appears to be unaware he is aiding the enemy, suggesting people who ride alone are uninformed
Victor Keppler, 1944
- Photograph used instead of the illustrative style commonly seen in propaganda posters, more realistic and therefore more impact
- The woman in the poster could be anyone's daughter, mother, sister, neighbour etc. Someone you know could sabotage the war effort
- Emphasis on the word "careless" suggests there is no thought for the soldiers fighting for YOU on the home front
The Implications of Subliminal Messaging
- Throughout history, we have looked to political and governmental institutions to examine whether mind control and subliminal perception has been used amongst the general public
- The CIA, for example, is one branch of government thought to use this technique in order to gain its authority over large bodies of people. If it is actually effective is up to public opinion of belief and personal reported experience.
- In recent years, the term subliminal perception has been made more general to describe any situation in which unnoticed stimuli are perceived. Subliminal messages can be seen in our advertisements if we look hard enough. Does this mean we are really influenced by subliminal messages?
- Do we buy certain cars because the rhetoric used enhances our desire to?
- Do we buy products because the ad in a magazine persuades us underneath our threshold of perception?
- Do we drink certain brands of soda because of product placement in movies that we perhaps do not notice?
- Do we recycle because the cast members in primetime television do, but we do not consciously see this while tuning in?
- These are questions to ponder while searching through our web site of Subliminal Messages.
Fight Club, 1999
- The researchers cite the example of the film Fight Club, where a character who works as a cinema projectionist inserts a single frame of pornography into the 24 frames of a film shown each second.
- In the movie, those watching were unaware of the split-second shot, but felt depressed or aggressive afterwards.
1984, George Orwell
- Another piece of popular culture which plays on the common themes of subliminal messaging such a mind-control and that our every movement is being watched by this all powerful figure is George Orwell's 1984.
- In the book Winston Smith wrestles with oppression in Oceania, a place where the Party scrutinizes human actions with ever-watchful Big Brother. Defying a ban on individuality. Criminal deeds bring Winston into the eye of the opposition, who then must reform the nonconformist. George Orwell's 1984 introduced the watchwords for life without freedom: BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU.
Better By You Better Than Me, Judas Priest, 1978
- In 1985, the families of two boys who committed suicide sued Judas Priest, claiming the band placed a subliminal message in a song- "Do it"- which is what the families say pushed their sons to commit suicide.
- The lyrics were purposely buried in the song "Better By You, Better Than Me." In the end, the case was won by Judas Priest. No scientific evidence was produced to be able to precipitate suicidal conduct.
A World of Subliminal Messaging
Even in simple everyday activities such doing a supermarket shop we can be subject to an aspect of subliminal messaging, subliminal persuasion without even being aware of it.
- The center aisles with the name-brand goods are the most profitable. That’s why items necessary for life — like cereal and coffee — are placed in a middle aisle. And they’re often in the middle of that middle aisle. That way, no matter which direction you come from, you’ll be exposed to a half-aisle of stuff you didn’t know you needed until right now
- But here’s the thing. If humans are put in charge of a hole, we have a psychological need to fill it. That’s why the shopping cart has doubled in size and those little carry baskets are intentionally hard to find.
- Americans “read” the world left to right. Our eyes are always leaning to the right side, or toward the natural progression of the “story.” So that’s where supermarkets often put the items you’re most likely to buy.
- We buy mostly what’s at eye level, so that’s where grocers put their high-profit margin stuff. The bulk economy foods are almost always on the bottom shelf, next to the boxed wine.
The Future
Product Placement Definition
- A practice in which manufacturers of goods or providers of a service gain exposure for their products by paying for them to be featured in films and television programmes.
- Product placement in films and international programmes (such as US drama series) has been allowed on UK television for many years.
- From 28 February 2011 TV programmes made for UK audiences can contain product placement as long as they comply with Ofcom's rules.
Any programme in the UK which includes product placement is required by law to show the product placement symbol during the opening credits.
- Dolce Gusto coffee machine on This Morning
- Nationwide in Coronation Street
- PG Tips in Deal or No Deal
US EXAMPLES
- Apple in The Simpsons
- Oreo in Friends
- Coca-Cola in American Idol
One piece of popular culture which mocks the idea of product placement and the sheer shamelessness of the script when clearly advertising a product which has no contribution to the story is The Truman Show which came out in 1998.
No comments:
Post a Comment