This Subliminal Images PowerPoint was created as part of a High School Comm (communications) skills curriculum. It has some rather suggestive photos and is intended for mature audiences.

1. Subliminal Images
“Subliminal advertising is a technique of exposing
consumers to product pictures, brand names, or other
marketing stimuli without the consumers having
conscious awareness. Once exposed to a subliminal
marketing stimulus, the consumer is believed to
decode the information and act upon it without being
able to acknowledge a communication stimulus.”
James Vicary
The originator of the term “subliminal advertising”

2. Subliminal Images
In 1957, James Vicary, a market
researcher, claimed that patrons at
Eat Popcorn a movie theater in were shown two
advertising messages, Eat Popcorn
and Drink Coca-Cola, while they
watched a film. The message was
flashed for 3/1000 of a second once
every five seconds, but the duration
Drink Coca-Cola of the messages was so short that
they were never consciously
perceived by the viewers. Over the
six-week test period the sales of
popcorn rose 57% and the sales of
Coca-Cola rose 18.1%.

3. Subliminal Images
In 1957, James Vicary, a market
researcher, claimed that patrons at
Eat Popcorn a movie theater in were shown two
advertising messages, Eat Popcorn
and Drink Coca-Cola, while they
watched a film. The message was
flashed for 3/1000 of a second once
every five seconds, but the duration
Drink Coca-Cola of the messages was so short that
they were never consciously
perceived by the viewers. Over the
six-week test period the sales of
popcorn rose 57% and the sales of
Coca-Cola rose 18.1%.

4. Subliminal Images
The image at the
left appears to be
moving, but if
you look closely
at the pointers on
any of the
outside circles,
you will see that
it is all an optical
illusion. Can we
really trust what
we think we see
in ads?

5. S.E.X. Sells
 Many companies subtly insert the word “sex” into their
advertisements, but you sometimes have to look closely
to see it.
 Look at the negative
space in the picture
to the right and you
will see the hidden
message in this
plate created in the
style of an old
children’s book

6. Subliminal Images
It’s hard to miss the
subtle sexual
innuendo of the
pendant about to
penetrate the
diamond ring. Is the
advertiser
suggesting that
buying diamonds for
your lover will get
you laid?

7. Subliminal Images
The following ads for a
Caribbean resort are
full of subliminals.
Is the man at the right
really paddling the
woman who is bending
over? S&M anyone?
And what about the
boy in the center of the
frame?
Where is he putting his hand, exactly? And how about the placement of the
man’s head who is reclining on the yellow mattress? Or the juxtaposition of
the couple on the left? What else do you notice?

8. Subliminal Images

9. Subliminal Images
I’m not sure why, but this Club looks like FUN!

10. Subliminal Images
In this ad, you have to
ask, “Did he really
mean to put his cue
there?”
And what about the
topless woman in the
background – She
really seems to be
enjoying that beer.
And what’s that hanging
down between the legs
of the pool player?

11. Subliminal Images
And for your entertainment, here’s the complete ad…

12. Subliminal Images
Beer companies have
always used sex to sell
brew. After all, Heinekin’s
slogan used to be, “Grab a
Heine”.
In case the message wasn’t
already clear, the ad agency
added a dark line to the
edge of the bottle to
accentuate the subliminal
female form.

13. Subliminal Images
Here’s a beer ad that
seems like it was
designed to appeal
more to women.

14. Subliminal Images
Liquor makers have
used sex to sell their
products for years.
If you look closely, you
will see the message
hidden in the ice
cubes.

15. Subliminal Images
Cigarette manufacturers
have been using
subliminals for decades.
The camel pack has
even been the subject
of novels.

16. Subliminal Images
Cigarette manufacturers
have been using
subliminals for decades.
The camel pack has
even been the subject
of novels.
Is it just my imagination,
or does Joe Camel look
like a part of the male
anatomy?

17. Subliminal Images
The caption says “If you
got crushed in the clinch
with your soft pack, try our
hard pack.” The play on
the words “hard” and “soft”
is difficult to overlook; the
ad seems to be promising
virility and potency to the
prospective male
purchaser of Benson &
Hedges.

18. Subliminal Images
Look at the man’s left hand,
the lower hand in the
photograph. It is resting
gently against the lady’s
backbone.
The lady’s backbone has
been carefully airbrushed to
resemble an erect, male
phallus. It appears to be
about to enter a cylindrical
curl formed by the lady’s hair.

19. Subliminal Images
The longer you look at it,
the more obvious it
becomes. If you study the
close up you will see that
the man’s hand appears to
be wrapped around a
cylindrical object that
doesn’t appear to be part of
the woman’s anatomy.

20. Subliminal Images
Advertisers have
always used sex to
market to adult
clients, but they
aren’t above using
subliminals in ads
that appeal to kids.

21. Subliminal Images
This Coca-Cola ad
came out when they
switched to the new,
(old fashioned) curvy
bottles… but what’s
that in the ice cubes?

22. Subliminal Images
This Coca-Cola ad
came out when they
switched to the new,
old fashioned, curvy
bottles… but what’s
that in the ice cubes?
Coca-Cola claimed it
was a coincidence.
What does it look like
to you?

23. Subliminal Images
In 1990, Pepsi actually withdrew one of its
“Cool Can” designs after someone
protested that Pepsi was subliminally
manipulating people by designing the
cans such that when six-packs were
stacked at grocery stores, the word SEX
would emerge from the seemingly random
design. Critics alleged that the red and
blue lines on the “Cool Can” design were
far from random

24. Subliminal Images
How many of you have this game at
home?
Look closely at the lights of the
building on the right.

25. Subliminal Images
How many of you have this game at
home?
Look closely at the lights of the
building on the right.
I don’t know why, but Xbox is sexy…

26. Subliminal Images
Hannah Montana, Really?
Just what age group are we
marketing to, anyway?

27. Subliminal Images
 I smell a rat… or is it a
mouse?
 Disney artists are
infamous for their subtle
inclusion of sexual
content in innocent
children’s entertainment.

28. Subliminal Images
 I smell a rat… or is it a
mouse?
 Disney artists are
infamous for their subtle
inclusion of sexual
content in innocent
children’s entertainment.

29. Subliminal Images
 Mommy, why is
there a naked
woman in that
window?
 This is purported
to be an actual
frame from the
movie.

30. Subliminal Images
 Jessica Rabbit,
you brazen
hussy!
 This is also
supposed to be
an actual frame
from the movie.

31. Subliminal Images
 Look closely,
and you will see
that the Little
Mermaid lives in
the land of the
golden phallus.

32. Subliminal Images
 Look closely,
and you will see
that the Little
Mermaid lives in
the land of the
golden phallus

33. Subliminal Images
But Pirates of the
Caribbean just
makes me think of
another national
franchise.
Does the placement
of the torches look
familiar?

34. Subliminal Images
But Pirates of the
Caribbean just
makes me think of
another national
franchise.
Does the placement
of the torches look
familiar?

35. Subliminal Images
 And fresh from the
Disney artists, their
latest subliminal
offering in the poster
from Tangled.
 Look closely at the
tangle of hair…

36. Subliminal Images
 And fresh from the
Disney artists, their
latest subliminal
offering in the poster
from Tangled.
 Look closely at the
tangle of hair…
 That’s right, truly it is
a tangled web we
weave…

37. Subliminal Images
This classic movie poster
for “Silence of the Lambs”
features a death’s head
moth over Jodi Foster’s
mouth but if you look
closely, you see that it
actually incorporates part
of a famous Salvador Dali
self-portrait next to a skull
composed entirely of
naked women.

38. Subliminal Images
The layout of the
movie poster at the left
resembles the female
reproductive system.
Coincidence? Maybe.

39. Subliminal Images
But I think I’m seeing
a pattern here…
The message in this
subliminal ad? Could
it be that slipping into
a new Dodge truck is
like slipping into a...
Never mind.
No wonder guys love
Dodge trucks!

40. Subliminal Images
If you look closely at this
actual 50 rupee bank note
from the Caribbean islands of
the Seychelles, you might
notice something interesting.
Check out the palm trees on
the far right of the image...
notice anything odd about the
palm leaves?
It sounds like a friendly
island. Perhaps I should visit.

41. Subliminal Images
If you look closely at this
actual 50 rupee bank note
from the Caribbean islands of
the Seychelles, you might
notice something interesting.
Check out the palm trees on
the far right of the image...
notice anything odd about the
palm leaves?
It sounds like a friendly
island. Perhaps I should visit.

42. Subliminal Images
See anything
unusual about the
image to the left?
If you turn it
upside down, you
will see why they
removed the ad
from the English
phone book.

43. Subliminal Images
This subliminal message
is so obvious it doesn’t
deserve a comment. Is
there any question what
they’re selling?
This phone book ad
might be an innocent
combination of forms
but I’m not buying it.

44. Subliminal Images
The Axe line of men’s
colognes and body
products uses sex to
appeal to their clients.
Notice the subliminal
message in the
packaging for their
shampoo.

45. Subliminal Images
It has been
suggested that the
knees of the
Native American
maiden on the
Land o’ Lakes
butter label could
replace the box of
butter she is
holding. Let’s
see…

46. Subliminal Images
… I think I can
see what they’re
talking about.

47. Subliminal Images
And in the unfortunate
Logo department…
They do WHAT to Kids?

48. Subliminal Images
And in the unfortunate
Logo department…
They do WHAT to Kids?
Mommy, I don’t want
to go to the doctor.

49. Subliminal Images
And sometimes
subliminal images
aren’t subliminal
at all.

50. Subliminal Images
And sometimes
subliminal images
aren’t subliminal
at all.
And on a similar
note…

51. Subliminal Images
There’s nothing subtle
about this Burger King ad
campaign for their “Super
Seven Incher”.

52. Subliminal Images
Thanks for your Attention
I hope this collection of subliminal images hasn’t
offended anyone, but please remember that these
images are around us every day.
Our children are exposed to these sorts of images
and much worse these days on television, movies
and in video games.
It is up to us to teach them to be savvy consumers.