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Nicole Renzulli

UWRT 1104

Professor Campbell

Advertising to The Subconscious Mind

Advertisements surround us everywhere we go. Whether they are in the form of paper,

digital, or radio, we see and hear about different companies and products as many as 5,000 times

a day (Johnson, 2006). However, many of us dont realize the specific and manipulative ways

that companies are able to target consumers subconscious in order to benefit their sales without

consumers ever knowing. According to dictionary.com, the subconscious is defined as the

totality of mental processes of which the individual is not aware. This means the subconscious

is a part of our mind that we have no control over, but is able to be influenced by outside sources.

Companies use this information and use an advertising tactic known as subliminal advertising to

influence the consumers subconscious in order to manipulate them into buying their product or

service. The question this kind of advertising raises is whether this is ethical or not, and if it isnt,

what can be done to control it.

To understand how companies do this, one must first understand how the subconscious

works. Our subconscious is broken up into three parts (McLeod). First we have the superego

which is composed of morals and values that we learn from our parents or the people who raise

us. Second is the id, which is the instinctive and impulsive part of ones personality that is

biological and responds directly to instincts. Finally, we have the ego; the part of the id that has

been modified due to direct influence of the surrounding world (McLeod). I believe the ego is
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the part of the subconscious that advertisements target, because it is the part that is able to be

manipulated by outside sources. According to an article published by Natural Society, it is

believed that people are more influenced by subconscious desires or intent than they are by

rational and planned decisions (naturalsociety.com). When the subconscious mind is subjected to

heavy influences, this has a big impact on a persons thoughts and beliefs.

One of the easiest and most successful ways that companies target the subconscious to

sell a product or service is targeting the consumers subconscious desires. This is true because

companies know that the they, along with the media, are able to control the way society views

beauty, popularity and other desirable aspects of life. Since media controls how this is perceived,

advertising can be manipulated to mirror these perceptions. For example, the media presents the

idea of beauty as tall, skinny, etc. Therefore, when a company is advertising a beauty product or

service, they may suggest in their advertisement that this product can help you better fit the

image of tall and skinny, or create an association between this product and this image. Although

a consumer may not consciously think that they want to be taller or skinnier, their subconscious

knows that achieving these characteristics will help others perceive them as more beautiful, and

this increases their chances of buying this product or service. This happens when companies

purposefully use models that fit a certain image, or promote their product or service as something

that will help consumers fit a certain image. According to Natural Society, When you compare

yourself to a famous individual or a person who is depicted as successful, you may be setting

yourself up to subconsciously feel less valuable from the comparison (naturalsociety.com). This

makes it easier for companies to promote products because consumers are more likely to buy

into the claims made by brands if they have a low self-esteem and believe this will help them feel
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better about themselves. Similarly, since it is human nature to want to fit in, companies may

advertise a product/service as something that everyone has, or that one must have in order to

achieve popularity. Since most people have the subconscious desire to fit in and be popular, they

will again be more likely to purchase this product or service.

A common tactic that companies use when advertising is subliminal messages.

Subliminal advertising is when a company inserts subliminal, or hidden messages into

advertisements without the consumer being aware. This is an extremely controversial method of

advertising because some believe that it defeats the purpose of the entire advertising industry.

Some people believe that this is an unethical method of advertising because it consists of taking

away a consumers right to evaluate different products and make a choice. Companies are able to

do this because when subliminal messages are inserted into advertisements, consumers are

unaware of them, but they are subconsciously influencing what products or services they choose

to use/buy. For example, researchers conducted an experiment in which they played different

kinds of music in a liquor store. On the days where they played German music, more German

wine was purchased than French wine; however, on days where French music was played,

French wine outsold German wine (North, 1999). Despite popular opinion that this method of

advertising is unethical, some also believe that there is nothing wrong with this way of

advertising and that it is, although bold, an effective technique.

One example of subliminal advertising that had much controversy surrounding it was an

ad put out by Burger King. The ad depicts an attractive woman with her mouth open and the

sandwich that is being advertised inches from her mouth. Underneath in bold, capital letters

reads Itll blow your mind away with a picture of the BK Super Seven Incher underneath.
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This is an example of subliminal advertising because it is drawing on mens desire to have sex

appeal, and subconsciously makes them believe that eating this sandwich will lead women to

find you more appealing or that your sex appeal will increase. Although this probably isnt true,

the company is relying on consumers subconscious desire to be found attractive and have sex

appeal to women and manipulates them into thinking that this will help them achieve this, which

in turn persuades men to go to Burger King and buy this sandwich. To confirm this, Burger

Kings sales increased with men after they released this advertisement.

Another example of marketing to the subconscious is seen in this Victorias Secret ad

campaign. It features eight women, all of similar height and weight, in different styles of

Victorias Secret bras and underwear. Across the front it reads The Perfect Body. Although on

the surface it seems like they are referring to finding the perfect style to fit your body, the

underlying message is what exemplifies the targeting of the subconscious. These women clearly

have what this company and the media considers the perfect body, and by using those words they
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further suggest that this is what they are referring to. When a woman sees this ad, she will

subconsciously think that in order to better achieve this perfect body, she must wear Victorias

Secret bras and underwear. While to our conscious mind, this obviously wont change the way

your body looks, our subconscious views it as a desirable product.

Similarly, companies use the perception of value in their advertising techniques to target

consumers subconscious and manipulate them into buying their product or service. In an article

about the subconscious marketing of values, the author stated that consumers are drawn into

products based off of the perceived value of the product (Reid). Companies use this information

to their advantage by presenting a product/service as one of great value through subliminal

messages and in general advertising. This is easy for them to do because the idea of value is a

perception in itself, and what is and isnt considered valuable in our society is dictated by the

media. In advertisements, companies make a subconscious association between their product and

its supposed value in society. For example, Puma recently came out with a line of shoes created

and sponsored by Rihanna. When advertising them, the company is aware that there are many

other types of shoes on the market for much cheaper. This is why they use Rihanna and the idea

that she wears them to manipulate the supposed value of the shoes. Consumers place more value
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on owning and wearing these shoes because a celebrity does. When a consumers subconscious

is continually exposed to this association, it will manipulate them into believing that this product

is very valuable to them and that they must have it. Companies are able to do this because they,

as well as the media, have for so long suggested that people should value tangible things, rather

than valuing things like family, friends, etc. In this way, companies work to target the

subconscious by controlling the idea of what is valuable and then using these tactics to present

their products as valuable so consumers will buy them.

This is a controversial topic and one that many feel is not a fair way to advertise products.

In fact, consumers have been complaining about it since the 1950s (umich.edu). Some call into

question the ethics behind using the subconscious part of someones mind to manipulate them to

sell products or services. This poses the question of whether this is, in fact, an unethical

advertising tactic or whether it is just smart marketing. There is validity to both sides of this

topic; however, ultimately it does seem to be unethical to advertise products with the intent to

target the subconscious due to the fact that most consumers are unaware that this style of

advertising is being used on them, and the fact that companies use it in a way that intentionally

draws on consumers subconscious desires. There are currently no specific laws that address the

concept of subliminal advertising or advertising to the subconscious, but several states have

attempted to outlaw it; however, none were successful due to lack of evidence that subliminal

advertising was effective. An example of another attempt to get rid of subliminal advertising

started in 1985, when two fans of the band Judas Priest attempted suicide and the fans parents

argued that the band caused their deaths by inserting subliminal messages into their music. The

judge in the trial found no evidence that subliminal messages could affect behavior. However,
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some studies have suggested otherwise. In an experiment with groups of smokers, psychologist

Dr. Lloyd Silverman exposed subliminal audio messages to only one half of each group. Within

a month of this experiment, 66% of those exposed to subliminal messages stopped smoking,

while only 13% of those not exposed stopped smoking (visualmeditation.com). This seems to

suggest that subliminal messages do, in fact, have a big impact on our behavior. The Federal

Trade Commission regulates situations like this, and requires marketers to be truthful in their

advertisements. If it is found that they are not, or have used subliminal messages, a fine may be

given (smallbusiness.chron.com).

The advertising industry is a very complicated, competitive industry with many different

facets. It has changed greatly over time and had to develop new methods and tactics in order to

promote products and services in the most effective way possible. One of these methods has

become the idea of advertising in ways that targets consumers subconscious to manipulate them

into buying specific products/services. This is done through the use of subliminal messages,

targeting peoples subconscious desires, and their subconscious idea of value. Although some

argue that it is unethical or unfair, there are currently no laws against it that consequent any

serious trouble other than a small fine, because it is hard to prove the effectiveness despite

studies that clearly display its effectiveness. After all of the research Ive had to do on this topic,

I believe that although it may seem not fair to consumers or other companies who do not partake

in this type of advertising, it is a smart and effective way of marketing. For those who are still

worried about it, it may be helpful to remember that just like in the past, companies will have to

continue to change their methods and this method will eventually be a thing of the past.
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Works Cited

Johnson, C. (2006, September 17). Cutting Through Advertising Clutter. Retrieved April

24, 2017, from http://www.cbsnews.com/news/cutting-through-advertising-clutter/

McLeod, Saul. "Saul McLeod." Id Ego Superego, Simply Psychology. N.p., 01 Jan. 1970.

Web. 9 Mar. 2017.

McLeod, S. (1970, January 01). Saul McLeod. Retrieved April 24, 2017, from

https://www.simplypsychology.org/unconscious-mind.html

Reid, Aaron. "Steve Jobs and the Subconscious Marketing of Values." Sentient Decision

Science. Sentient Decision Science , 06 Jan. 2017. Web. 10 Mar. 2017.

Subconscious. (n.d.). Retrieved April 05, 2017, from

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/subconscious

Subliminal Messages: How They Work and How They Affect Us. (2016, November 12).

Retrieved April 05, 2017, from

https://visualmeditation.co/subliminal-messages-how-they-work-and-how-they-affect-us/

The influence of in-store music on wine selections. North, Adrian C.; Hargreaves, David

J.; McKendrick, Jennifer. Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol 84(2), Apr 1999, 271-276.

The Roots of Subliminal Perception. (n.d.). Retrieved April 24, 2017, from
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http://www.umich.edu/~onebook/pages/tablepages/history.html

Thompson, V. (n.d.). Is Subliminal Advertising Ethical or Not? Retrieved April 4, 2017,

from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/subliminal-advertising-ethical-not-60413.html