Web Marketing Strategy Update

I remember learning about subliminal advertising in Journalism school. Fascinating (and somewhat diabolical) to manipulate people with nude pictures in ice cubes and death masks in movies. But as I was searching around, I notice there are a lot of naysayers who deny it even exists. Oh come on, already. It’s so obvious. Remember all the uproar over the phallic symbol in “The Little Mermaid”? And do they really believe the tobacco and alcohol companies spend all those millions on market research to simply ignore a proven (albeit illegal) technique? Second for second it costs more to produce a TV ad than it costs to produce a TV show or feature film (www.classroomtools.com/sublimad.htm)

In 1973 a game called “Husker Do” flashed the words “get it” 4 times (for a duration of one frame each) during a 60 second commercial. They pulled the commercial and apologized. Then there are hypnotic suggestions and neurolinguistic programming. They aren’t “mind control” but they are definitely persuasive.

So here’s my question. If subliminal awareness exists, does scrolling down a long page of copy register in our brains on some subconscious level? I believe it does. Studies on website usability support that the eye registers colors and differences in fonts. I realize that doesn’t mean the eye necessarily understands the meaning without lingering longer than a fast scroll would allow. But it’s an interesting concept, dontcha think?