Subliminal messages in advertising has been a controversial topic for years. Is it underhanded? Does it even work? Reader “umlaut75″ sent us a video of a KFC Snacker television commercial that shows a mysterious tiny picture of a dollar bill mixed in with the lettuce. As far as intrigue is concerned, it’s not exactly the Zapruder film but it does make us wonder. The video, inside…
At approximately 30 seconds in:
Most people seem to consider the effects of subliminal advertising negligible at best. For one thing, the guy “discovered” it actually made the whole thing up as a gimmick to get more business for his marketing research company. However, according to Wikipedia, “A study conducted by the United Nations concluded that “the cultural implications of subliminal indoctrination is a major threat to human rights throughout the world.” Do you think there is a threat? Could it be possible?
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I noticed that too last night on a KFC commercial, never thought about it being a subliminal message though. Didn’t work as my family won’t eat at KFC in town, the last couple of times we did the supposedly properly cooked drumsticks were still bleeding.
Any gains made by that subliminal message were lost by that explicit “Ultimate Cheese” pour. Blech.
I would think that subliminal advertising would work if you didn’t have to study the film frame by frame to find it.
At best, I think it would be the editor’s of the animator’s “easter egg”.
Something for the ADA to sue over, the marketing is not equally tasty for blind people.
Hmmm. Maybe, maybe not. Look, in many industries production houses will ‘brand’ frames with a small signature so that if there are disputes they can point to those frames then have it compared to dated reference frames in court.
Not saying its the case here but it is a industry trick.
What do a KFC Snacker and a dollar bill on a bun have in common? They’re both not food.
@nadmonk: The dollar bill probably has more flavor.
Wow, it must be good. I had a couple of snackers for lunch today and I’ve only now seen this article!
I totally noticed this just last week.
@Git Em SteveDave: But these people you’re talking about actually noticed the bill corners. I didn’t notice the dollar in this ad until I looked where the arrow was pointing.
And @Lambasted: No, it’s not just your KFC. I tried KFC about a year ago because I hadn’t eaten there for years and wanted to try it. Absolutely disgusting. I also got a side of rice, which turned out to be the stuff you buy at the grocery store and microwave in the bag.
@Balisong: Yeah, but it was a large corner, and it elicited a large response. Seeing it this small would make it noticeable at a lesser level. B/c you see it in real life, it’s brought to your attention. But when you see it on TV or in print, it doesn’t elicit that bring to the front attention that real life does.
I always thought I saw that but it was too quick to be sure. I don’t know how this is supposed to subliminally make me want a KFC snacker. Equating it with money, no matter what the denomination, seems counter-productive. Idiots.
@Git Em SteveDave: I don’t agree with that. Just because I would notice a giant 30-story ant stomping through my neighborhood and physically run away screaming, this doesn’t denote that some part of my brain would notice a tiny regular-sized ant crawling along a dark-colored kitchen floor if I swept my glance across it, leading me to feel a psychological disgust that I can’t explain. There’s a lack of connection in that argument when you say “So-and-so would act this way to a big thing, so they would FEEL this way to a small thing of the same type.” IMO, subliminal whatevers are baseless.
@44 in a Row:
I think I read before that the guy who invented the concept of subliminal messages (and coined the term) had a marketing firm, and tried to sell the idea to grow his business. The idea was unpopular because of moral concerns. He eventually admitted that subliminal messaging is a sham and he just invented the idea of it as a gimmick to bolster sales for his marketing company.
@Balisong: Good to know it’s not just me. I used to love KFC. Nothing brings fonder memories than thinking of road trips and getting a KFC bucket of chicken for a rest stop picnic.
Sadly, now their chicken is too fatty and tastes greasy. If there is such a thing as “cheap” chicken, I think KFC uses it. The meat doesn’t appear to be the best quality anymore. Popeye’s chicken isn’t as well seasoned as KFC but its quality is much better and has less fat on it.
I think seeing the KFC ad all over the internet would make me more inclined to eat it, to be honest.
But you can’t get the sandwich for a dollar!!
99 cents plus tax.
What do you think it would do? Make you stuff it under your mattress?
I saw that, and no one believed me when I said it. I win again.
@jammadave: Funny commercials are awesome. They’ve been playing those Diet Pepsi Max ads since the Superbowl, and I still laugh at them. And my husband yells “Wizard!” every time that cell phone ad comes on, not that I know what cell phone company it’s for, so maybe it’s not that effective an ad.
@doctor_cos: Some areas don’t have sales tax, or don’t have it on food. Then again, even though I don’t have to pay sales tax on anything, I, like Mr. Guy, live in an area where the “dollar” and $0.99 menus are all $1.50 (the fine print always says “prices higher in Alaska”), so maybe it’s not really $0.99 anywhere.
So, can I sue for false advertising if there isn’t a tiny mock-dollar in my sandwich?
~Y
I remember the day I bought a KFC snacker. It was basically a tiny chicken nugget on a miniscule bun. I mean… I would maybe say it was worth .50 cent at most. Then you watch the commercials and everyone is using 2 hands to hold one, and it looks huge. They are either doing some LOTR image tricks in those commercials, or the actors are all 4 feet tall with 1 inch fingers.