How to Spot Subliminal Messages in Posters

Spotting subliminal messages in ads is not easy.

Spotting subliminal messages in advertisements is not easy--a lot of time, money and effort has been spent so that embedding messages in your mind will not be registered at a conscious level. Subliminal advertising is not as common now as it once was, but there are still examples to be found. By far, the most commonly used subliminal marketing technique is incorporating images or suggestions of sex into poster images.

Things You'll Need

• Posters

Instructions

1. Read the strapline of the poster several times to see whether there is a double entendre or innuendo. This is the most common form of subliminal advertising, and the easiest to spot.

2. Look at the background of the poster. Advertising agencies will sometimes include figures or pictures that have no relevance to the overall image, but induce a feeling of desire or anger in the consumer.

3. Check for hidden patterns in the fur of animals, the hair on somebody's head, or in the skin complexion. Phallic images or words are sometimes hidden in poster images this way.

4. Turn the poster upside down and see whether this reveals a new image. A famous advert for a floor-cleaning company revealed something far ruder when the image of a lady holding up a glass was turned the other way round.

References

• Artist Mike: Subliminal Advertising
• Planet Perplex: Subliminal Ads
• Classroom Tools: Sex And Death Among The Ice Cubes