5 Most Talked-About Subliminal Messages in Advertising

By Alexey V Afinogenov

Subliminal messages in advertising continues to influence the 
conscious understanding of audience and captivates imagination. 
Advertisements have its way of steering the public towards a certain 
product with words or images that goes beyond the subconscious level.

For the past decades, the world has seen over thousands of ads with subliminal messages. Some of these ads created huge impact in pop culture while others aggravated sensibilities. In this article are five of the most talked-about subliminal messages in advertising ever invented! 

• "McDonalds: I'm Lovin' It!" - The tagline of this popular food chain debuted on January 2007, and its first commercial was aired in the Food Network program "Iron Chef America". The commercial showed a McDonald's logo popped up under a single frame along with the slogan "I'm Lovin' It!". Days after its first airing, accusations of putting in subliminal content were found. McDonalds denied the accusations by claiming that there was a technical glitch committed by the Food Network. According to rumors, the tagline was taken from one of Justin Timberlake's sexually-themed songs.


• The "Lettuce Dollar Bill" Sandwich - In 2009, Kentucky Fried Chicken took its ground-breaking step in running a commercial with a hidden message that entices viewers to taste the so-called "Lettuce Dollar Bill" sandwich. Viewers were then compelled to replay the ad in slow motion after subliminal messages (including a tiny image of a $1000 bill mixed in the lettuce) were found. The ad could have been a success, until it was banned by ABC network in accordance with its policy on subliminal messages in advertising.


• "BureaucRATS Decide!" - Weeks before the 2000 US Presidential elections, a TV advertisement created by George W. Bush's campaign group made use of subliminal messages to oppose Al Gore's platform in legalizing prescription drugs. The commercial, which first aired on YouTube, showed the phrase "BUREAUCRATS DECIDE" flashing after Gore's name was mentioned. The ad's last fragment showed the word "RATS" seconds after the "Bureaucrats" phrase appeared. Apparently, the implication of the RATS word highlighted in boldface made the political ad subliminal.


• "Laid By The Best" - A particular ad in the UK yellow pages directory showed an image of a lady holding a champagne glass. On the print ad's upper corner, the tagline "Laid By The Best" is written. So what is the connection between the flooring service's tagline to the lady? The answer is proven as the ad is flipped upside down and the lady's head is cropped.


• "Feel the Curves with CC" - This is one of the oldest and controversial subliminal messages in advertising showing a woman apparently performing oral sex. First released in Australia during the 1980s, the soda's "Feel the Curves" tagline was intended to emphasize its bottle shape - until a sexually suggestive image were apparently found in its poster. Hence, conservatives claimed that the tagline had a subliminal meaning. The CC Co. immediately recalled thousands of its posters distributed worldwide. The graphic artist who conceptualized the image and tagline lost his job.

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