Subliminal Advertising: KFC Wants You To Think There's Money In Your Sandwich
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?
This is a test using rich text formatting and html links. It's the generic "company" ad that should appear on all posts with the Company category if they don't have an ad attached to a specific company.
Post a comment
Comments:
MUST EAT SNACKER! MUST EAT MONEY!!
Hasn't the UN also repeatedly said that we should all have died years ago from catastrophic climate change?
Well...at least it isn't rat in there.
Funny! A dollar hidden in a 99 cent sandwich. I don't think this is so much subliminal advertising as just a (rather obvious) easter egg and clever marketing idea. Obviously it worked since the commercial is being posted to the interwebs!
Hasn't it been proven that subliminal advertising doesn't work? Since your eyes and brain can't process such things.
Oh...and do I get a penny back strapped to some fries or something?
I love subliminal advertising. I took a history of mass media class during undergrad and we spent a week on it. My favorite is Photoshopping ice in alcohol ads to take on characteristics of skulls, thus triggering your depressive side and wanting to drink. Good stuff.
Money is dirty. Money is in KFC. KFC IS DIRTY!!!!
For some reason I feel like turning over to ESPN, also. Odd.
That's Sweet! Without the arrow I would have never seen that.
@punkrawka: I don't know about you, but I'm growing gills, have webs between my toes, and I'm sailing around fighting "smokers" on a catamaran...
1. Chicken
2. Bun
3. ????
4. Profit
Hasn't it been proven that subliminal advertising doesn't work? Since your eyes and brain can't process such things.
They've never really proven that it "doesn't" work, as much as they've never proven that it does. There's one study that showed it to work -- the study the whole field is based on, where James Vicary put up subliminal messages like "Drink Coke" during a movie, and claimed that sales went up. The only problem was that he later admitted to falsifying all the results.
I have a sign in my office in 8pt font that tells people to F**K OFF AND DIE. As far as I know, it doesn't work.
In a related note, Kevin Nealon is the advertising executive behind this campaign.
You know, this was probably an editor having fun. I knew a guy at an ABC affiliate who placed messages in the news swooshes (you know, those stupid graphic sweeps they do when they cut to a different shot). Stupid stuff like, "Call your mother", "Drink more milk". They were in there for quite awhile before anyone noticed.
Probably the same thing here.
I've noticed that every time I've seen the commercial. It has never really made me want one of those sandwiches, though...
1. Lettuce/Dollar
2. ????
3. Profit
Mmmm, adds fiber.
@janetcarol: That's actually pretty close to my line of thought on this :D Money has fecal matter on it...I don't want one of these sammitches!
Maybe it's just the one near me but I think KFC tastes horrible. No amount of subliminal anything is going to entice me to want to eat it. KFC should serve good food and they wouldn't have to resort to shameless tactics for people to eat it. Besides, seeing a dollar only reminds me to go to the bank not to eat a chicken sandwich.
I've seen a commercial of a woman eating a five dollar bill. Don't remember what product or company was being advertised, but someone has already upped the ante on KFC...
I hate the way the actors hold those tiny sandwiches with both hands to make them appear bigger. Drives me crazy every time I see that commercial for some reason.
I saw that in the commerical and thought it was stupid. back to the drawing board, kfc...
KFC will begin using a 3-pronged approach to advertising their KFC snackers. The liminal, the subliminal and the superliminal.
The superliminal you ask?
'Hey you, buy a KFC snacker!'
@umbriago: lol, yeah, that as is all over ESPN, which is almost all I watch these days.
I noticed that dollar a while ago. Thought it was rather odd.
Dang, I never noticed. I only eat them 'cause they're chicken sandwiches...
dollars are tasty! mmm nom nom nom
It isn't a dollar, it's JESUS. All praise the holy hamburger!
SMOKE!
Maybe they can auction it on ebay to that casino place?
SMOKE!
They can display it next to the fried cheese Virgin Mary.
ARE YOU SMOKING YET?
actually this is part of a promotion where if you go online and tell them what the "code" is, you can get a free snacker or other prizes. This has been around since march, so a little old news. The other good news is that subliminsal advertising in no way works.
At the beginning of the ad they talk about how you can turn your dollar into a KFC snacker....
@JPropaganda: I forgot to mention that the whole promotion was aimed at people who zip through their commercials, this way people would go back and start looking for the "hidden message."
The promotion isnt running anymore, is this commercial actually still on?
"I love Zack Morris".
I can't help but think that that dollar has been wedged in some stripper's g-string at some point.
Gak!
You can't prove a negative. My favorite example is from Penn Jillette: "Prove I don't have a dead hooker in the trunk of my car. How about now?... How about now?..."
Not being able to prove something works means the default position is it doesn't work, until evidence comes along to prove it works.
They're just copying the Quizno's commercials where people actually eat $5 bills.
/stupiest commercial ever
Also, to anyone that thinks subliminal advertising is real...know your consumerist, fool.
@umlaut75: Then KFC's ad agency/media company have some explaining to do, cuz they effed up. This promotion is over and therefore the commercial shouldnt be running anymore.
Also...I, for one, never actually received my $1 gift card....
@arras: Speaking of "superliminal" - seriously, doesn't anybody else wish that commercials were more like they were in the earlier days of mass media - or even like they were in old newspapers? You know, "Hi, I'm from XYZ company. This is our product. We think it's pretty great, and think you might find it appealing or useful. Please check it out, and buy it if you like it. Thank you."
Hell, I'm only 31, but I'd LOVE that kind of format in commercials.
.....And now I suddenly need a chicken sandwich the size of a dinner roll.
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."
While this may be true, the part of the Wikipedia article mentioned cites a book: [www.amazon.com]
that, after looking, I can only find a couple references to and that does not seem that trustworthy. Consider me skeptical about this.
@jammadave: I don't. Maybe because I write advertising and I'm selfish, but I definitely dont want those boring old timey commercials.
If you do, watch more local TV
OK, this is personal experience, and I have conducted this study in many different environments, and can say it's true. When I worked in a cash room, you would occasionally get corners on bills that were barely holding on, or that fell off. I found that if you took that corner, and placed it somewhere and had only a fraction of an inch showing, people would notice it immediately. I once spotted a 20 dollar bill floating near the bottom of the wave pool at action park on a sunny day from 30 feet away. Greed is the only "drive" that supersedes Self Preservation. Ever notice the people who make those cards that are 50 or 100 dollar bills, only half size(federal law states you can legally make a copy of money if it is 50% smaller or 150% bigger than the original) and leave them places. They always get picked up or spotted.
@JPropaganda: OK, well, at least only make *funny* modern ones, then. A funny commercial can be really good.
As for the local TV - the local commercials are absolutely awful (I'm looking at you, Joe's Pizza and Double D Computer Services of northern VA) but I always assumed it was because they were *trying* to be like the big boys, and just weren't any good at it.
i'd say that this ad may have worked exactly its intended effect on me yesterday. leaving my office, hungry and still hungover, with only a few singles in my pocket, i passed a KFC on the way to the subway. "a snacker!" I thought. "those are only a dollar!"
unfortunately, in downtown brooklyn, snackers are actually $1.50. DIdn't stop be from ordering two, and when i realized i could make it an extra value meal, i added the soda and side.
KFC capitalizes on my hunger and weak will to the tune of $5.95.
A buck for a cluck. Now that's just cool.