the good ole days
Secret sell of
subliminal projection
Cries of Brave New World and 1984 abounded. Nervous, frightened movie
I viewers waved their fingers in front of their faces incessantly, wondering if they
were being exposed to it. The usually liberal New Yorker screamed that minds
I were being unknowingly and wantonly 'broken and entered'. An emotional
I editorial in the Saturday Review insisted that the only honorable course of action
this case would be to "take this invention and everything connected with it
I and attach it to the center of the next nuclear explosive scheduled for testing". A
Los Angeles businessman informed Business Week that Himmler and Goebbels
had at least had the decency to commit suicide and that James M. Vicary showed
I no such ethical sense and should be shot out of hand..
The year was 1957, the devilish invention was Subliminal Projection, and Mr.
I Vicary its developer. The process was simple: during the showing of a movie (or
television program, it was hoped), a commerical message was flashed on the
screen at a light intensity lower than that of the rest of the film for from 1 /25 to
1 /3000th of a second, depending upon the individual film's degree of brightness.
J This process was repeated at five-second intervals for one minute. The message
I was much too fleeting for the conscious mind to detect, but the subconcious
I mind was aware of its presence, and the intermittent repetition caused it to 'get
into a person's mind', so to speak. The device had been tested successfully in a
theater in Fort Lee, N.J. in August of the year. During the regular showing of the
film Picnic, rmssagest suggesting that the viewer 'Drink Coke' or 'Eat Popcorn'
were sublimmed at 1/50th of a second at ten second intervals, but on different
nights so that thirst induced by additional popcorn consumption would not drive
Coke sales up inadvertently. This experiment was conducted during the six weeks
embracing July 16-August 31, the results being a 57.7% increase in Coke sales, an
18..% increase in sales of popcorn. Picnic was not a film conducive to popcorn or
I Coke consumption ( as would be a baseball or circus movie, for instance) and
Vicary, an American Statistical Assn, member, could demonstrate that sound
I statistical controls had been used. Reports of this test were released in January
1958 and most observers got the immediate impression that hundreds of people
I had been convinced they should buy something without ever seeing or hearing a
I word.
Mr. Vicary apparently didn't realize how disturbing most people found this
I story. He went on to announce that the new technique was also adaptable for
television and that he was soliciting clients in this area. His contention was that
I the new device would be a boon to the dedicated TV viewer, as it could
eventually eradicate completely the annoyingly increasing number of commercial
messages that were even then taking up more and more viewing time. But the
conclusion drawn by a number of self-righteous journalists was that the day could
I come when consumers would unceasingly purchase items they didn't want or
I need simply because they had watched 'Gunsmoke' or 'Highway Patrol' the night
I before.
The stunning suddenness of these developnents caused an immediate
j rhubarb. Congressmen up for re-election in 1958 began discussion of legislation
against sublim, and Senator Charles Potter, a Michigan Republican with an
unlimited capacity for indignant histrionics, asked the Federal Communications
j Commission whether it had suffiecient authority to protect the voting public
from this new menace or whether it needed more, the Women's Christian
Temperance Union insisited that something be done to guard against the invasion
I of young minds should breweries and distilleries begin Subliminal Advertising
[ campaigns. A few, however, kept their heads. Professor Richard H. Blackwell of
the University of Michigan's Psychology and Opthalmology Dept, had conducted
experiments in this area earlier and said matter-of-factly that an advertisement
unseen by the viewer would have the same effect as one obnoxiously visible,
insisting that there was nothing really compelling about such stimuli.
This had been one of Vicary's main contentions all along. He wasn't overly
concerned about the publicity that Subliminial Projection Company had gotten
from the controversy, figuring that a widespread belief that motivation
researchers had eerie supernatural powers over the public couldn't hurt when it
came time to deal with a client. Originally, most observers thought that the entire
idea was so devious that no legitimate advertising firms would have anything to
do with it, but when it became known that a number of top ad executives had
said that they would recommend Sublim to their clients if it were found to be as
effective as its reputation, attacks on everything from the science of hypnotic
research to Mr. Vicary.s parentage vwre levied from all fronts. In a January 1958
interview with Consumer Reports, Mr. Vicary stated that he was not alarmed at
the objections raised, stating that they were based on misconception. People
would have ample reason to object, he said, if sublim was as powerful as they had
been led to believe. He maintained that it was an innocent technique, a relatively
weak form of reminder advertising. Its principal function, he insisted, was to
relieve the pressure of advertisers demanding television time. Since a viewer could
not know that he was watching a sponsor's message, he would not be tempted to
leave his set during a commercial. Eventually, Mr. Vicary hoped, all commercials
could be invisible, he explained that it was relatively weak because it had little
effect on the person whose threshold was relatively high at the time of
transmission. In fact, he revealed, Sublim could be unpredictable in its influence.
The message 'Drink Coke' might lead you to buy a Coke you otherwise wouldn't
have bought if you like Coke and if you are thirsty. But it might just as well
I suggest to you that you should have a drink of water, or it might cause you to
I dream about drinking, or it might lead you to buy a Cheerwine or a Pepsi-Cola.
No, said Mr. Vicary, Sublim wasn't brainwashing, it was merely a way of ioqqina
the memory.
The magic was that it was possible to insert a mild form of reminder
I advertising at the very peak of attention, the big moment of the movie or
television play when the audience is well-motivated to do what the advertiser
would like, But Vicary's company was well aware that regulation was necessary
and actively sought it. They wanted a law that disclosure that the technique was
being used would be mandatory in all circumstances. Vicary insisted that the
viewer not only know that he was being Sublimmed, but that he also know what
the message was. Disclosure would not reduce the effectiveness of the device
enough to matter, he felt, and it was essential to the prevention of 'bootleg'
Subliminal advertising sold to willing firms by unscrupulous local stations a
possibility that could become profitable enough that different messages from
divergent or corrpeting firms would be sublimmed at five second intervals, rather
than the prescrived one message flashed every fivfe seconds for one moment. The
result of this type of jumbled jargon, warned Vicary, would be ineffectual
advertising at best andpossible psychologically damaging mental conflicts at
worst. (Next article; Cutthroat radio tactics, early applications with frightening
results, regulation and controls: Part II of Subliminal Projection).
the journal /page two/january^
Samuel e. spear
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The
Doctor's
Bag
Address questions to Dr. Arnold Werner,
c/o Michigan State University, East
Lansing, Mich.
For sale: Solid brass buckles and
things custom-made by student.
Check the display in the campus
bookstore.
For sale: Tailor-made suits in the
latest styles for men and women. We
will 'suit' your taste and
pocketbook. We also do'alterations
of all kinds for men's and women's
clothing. Our prices are reasonable
and our service is fast. Our work is
all hand-tailoring. Call 568-3275
For sale: House. Cabarrus
Woods. Ten minutes from campus.
Nine months old, brick, three
bedroom home, has an assurrable
loan or can be puchased through VA
or FHA plans. Contact; Mary Ryder
Realty Co., 392-9471.
For rent: Apartments.
Convenient to college. Caesar's Forge
apartments. 4430 Rolling Hill Drive
(off Sugar Creek Road) near 1-85 and
shopping center. Laundry facilities,
basketball, and tennis courts. Pool.
Two bedroom townhouses only
$140. Resident Manager in C-10. Call
596-8058.
For sale: Waterbed. Stained
frame, mattress, liner, heater, and
pedestal. Call 597-9749 anytime.
Found; Small UNCC Medallion,
in vicinity of Ft. Lauderdale!
Florida. For further information,
contact Dept of Public Safety, 2282.
For sale: Individually made
wooden bookshelves, 3 shelves high.
12" wide, 32" long. Adjustable
heights. No nails. E-Z and
completely collapsible, a real stacker
at $12. Call or contact Damon
Rumsch.
For Sale or Rent: 12 x 60 mobile
home. Five minutes from campus.
Two bedrooms. Like new. Lot of
extras: central air, dishwasher, utility
building, Immediate occupancy. Call
455-2791 after 5:00 p.m.
For Sale: Brick tri-level home, three
bedrooms, two baths. Large den with
fireplace. Central air. One acre lot
with garden. Outside city, near
UNCC. $35,500. Call 535-1705.
For Sale: One single bed - mattress,
box springs and frame. Good
condition - like a marshmallow. Will
take highest price or $25.00. Call
Pam at 596-3372.
Question: I have heard that wearing platform shoes and high heels can ca
varicose veins. Is that medically correct?
Answer: If platform shoes and high heels cause varicose veins, I am sure
occurs subsequent to fracturing an ankle after losing one's balance in tho
hideous contraptions. By themselves, they should not cause varicose vei^
although I understand that some people get backaches withe them. While all hi h
heel shoes and all platform shoes make one more vulnerable to ankle twists th
ones with inadequate heel support or entirely open heels are the most dangerous*
Qjestion: Would you please help us to settle a dispute on my floor
me? A couple of years ago a good friend of mine had an appendicitis attack Th
doctor attributed the cause to popcorn lodged in the appendix. Is it possible for
such stuff as popcorn, peanut shells, etc. to get caught in the appendix?
Answer: Although rare, the situation you inquire about can occur Much
more commonly,.obstruction of the appendix is caused by fecal material either
accumulating or lodging in the opening of this useless organ. In a fair percentage
of cases, no particular cause can be found for the appendicitis. ^
The appendix is a three to four inch long skinny piece of intestine attached
to the beginning of the large intestine. It serves no useful function in humans and
is thought to be left over from the'days when man's intestine was much lonqei
than it is now. It is tucked away in the lower right part of the abdomen
Appendicitis is the commonest acute surgical condition of the abdomen
Interestingly, it was not until the very late 1800's before inflammation of the
appendix was recognized as an important clinical condition.
There is.no way to prevent the occurrence of appendicitis and I certainly
would not advise one to stop eating peanuts and popcorn since this would be a
trivial cause of the disorder. Appendicitis tends to occur less frequently as one
gets older but still can occur even in the elderly.
Question: Is it true that the shape of the navel is different in women who
have never been pregnant compared to women who have been pregnant? I have
heard that women who have never been pregnant have a longitudinal navel and
those who have been pregnant have a round one.
Answer: Since I was asked this question I had plenty of time to make observa
tions and to ask some discrete questions.
To begin with, the navel (umbilicus) is round. The ultimate shape of the
umbilicus IS dependent upon what kind of pulling and tugging goes on in the
abdominal wall and for some reason, the sex of the belly button's owner
Women who have never had children indeed seem to have more longitudinal
navels than round ones. But, women who have been pregnant have had
considerable stretching of the abdominal wall and this seems to account for the
change. If there is enough time between pregnancies and the woman does
gain weight, usually the abdominal wall reverts to its original state and the
umbilicus more or less does the same. Even so, some worrcn who have never been
pregnant have round ones.
Interestingly, men do not have longitudinal navels even when thin and
muscular. For some reason, the pull on the umbilicus is lateral in men and vertical
in women. I suppose if there is to be a part of the body which will remain
s rou ed in mystery, it may as well be the umbilicus rather than sorhething more
functional.
Question: The other day I noticed a small line of print on my box of salt: "This
salt does not supply iodide, a necessary nutrient." Somewhat surprised, I had
always thought that salt was still supplied with iodide, I noticed the same
admonition on almost all the salt brands in the grocery store..
What gives? Does salt no longer supply our iodide requiremnents? If so, what
food sources can one use to obtain this nutrient?
Answer: Once upon a time many people living in the Great Lakes area suffered
from low thyroid function and developed goiters (large swellings of the thyroid
gland). The problem stemmed from insufficient amounts of iodide in their food
and liquid intake. Iodide is necessary for the production of thyroid hormone.
TUB
•lOIISKitL
editor
managing editor
associate editor
sports editor
arts editor
photography editor
news editor
advertising manager
business manager
jane ross
michael evans
david ledbetter
jerry proctor
phil cutrell
dean hubbard
susan sluss
donna hoover
mike preston
The Carolina Journal is the student newspaper of the University of North
Carolina at Charlotte, and is published each Tuesday of the school year.
Mailing address is: Carolina Journal Offices, Cone University Center,
UNCC Station, Charlotte, North Carolina 28223. Subscriptions are $9.50
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T^e opinions expressed herin are not necessarily those of the University of
North Carolina at Charlotte of thestudent body or any agency or
individual affiliated with the University. The opinions expressed in signed
articles and columns are not necessarily those of the editor or the
staff.