In the Sloan Marketing core class on Wednesday, we had a discussion on subliminal advertisement. Srijib referred to a very interesting video by Darren Brown. Is the internet advertising also subliminal in a way…..?
To define subliminal - Advertising intended to influence an audience subconsciously, especially through images shown very briefly on a movie or television screen (dictionary.bnet)
A subliminal message is a signal or message embedded in another medium, designed to pass below the normal limits of the human mind's perception. These messages are unrecognizable by the conscious mind, but in certain situations can affect the subconscious mind and can negatively or positively influence subsequent later thoughts, behaviors, actions, attitudes, belief systems and value systems. The term subliminal means "beneath a limen" (sensory threshold), this is from the Latin words sub, meaning under, and limen, meaning threshold. (Wikipedia)
To illustrate further, lots of print ads have subliminal messages hidden (the messages are mostly around sex). The enclosed link gives a very good illustration - http://www.artistmike.com/Temp/SubliminalAd.html
On the insertion of frames in normal videos or TV programs, the enclosed food guide video has McDonald ad inserted. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amnZX-jjBD8
The reference to cocaine evident in the coke cans - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztTCbbXE24I&feature=related
On internet, tracking the behaviour of the user and placing ads accordingly, isn’t it a form of subliminal advertising? Depending on the sites he/she visits, color she likes, books she buys, movies she watches, her spending behaviour and zillions of such things decide the ads placed.
Moreover, with such ads banned in traditional media and internet laws applicability not so clear, Internet becomes a rich medium of subliminal explosion.
Should the current form, therefore, fall under the purview of the existing law?
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