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Despite the shaky factual foundation of The Hidden Persuaders, the book popularized the concept of subliminal messaging and its potential uses. Coca-Cola might not have been engaged in a campaign of psychological manipulation aimed at America’s moviegoers (in that specific instance), but this particular application of subliminal messaging – leveraging the power of the subconscious mind to increase sales – is among subliminal advertising’s primary functions.
Subliminal messaging has also reportedly been used to further certain political agendas. During the Benin WhatsApp Number bitter fight for the U.S. presidency between George W. Bush and Al Gore in 2000, Gore accused Republican campaign managers of including a subliminal message in an attack ad focusing on Gore’s proposed healthcare policies. Gore alleged that, in the video, the word “RATS” appears onscreen for a fraction of a second before the ad shows a visual featuring the word “Bureaucrats.” Personally, I think it’s impossible to miss, especially if you’re looking for it: Today, the use of subliminal messaging is banned in many countries. Unsurprisingly, the United States does not expressly forbid the use of subliminal messages in advertisements, though their use does fall under federal law enforcement jurisdiction. Now let’s see some examples of subliminal advertising in action.

Playing Games with Husker Du Husker Du (the board game from which the rock band takes its name) was released in the early 1970s and marketed as a family game by its maker, Premium Corporation of America. The company paid for a series of TV ads for the game to be created, which featured single frames that read, “Get it.” An executive for Premium Corp. later admitted responsibility for the inclusion of the frames, which the FCC investigated following viewer complaints. Subliminal advertising Husker Du board game cover art The incident prompted the FCC to declare that subliminal messaging in TV ads was “contrary to the public interest” and forbade the practice. The board game might be a forgotten relic of a bygone age, but the incident is believed to be the first example of subliminal messages being utilized in TV ads.
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