Many times ads contain WORDS or IMAGES that are
intended to be understood differently by different groups. As you see
it here, even greatly reduced in size, this ad does not seem subtle,
let alone subliminal.
But to many women in America, the word "kiss" in the
partial sentence above is most likely to be a euphemism meaning:
"perform oral sex." The woman's position re- inforces this sexual
meaning. If this is a freeze-frame from a movie, a fantasy of
beautiful people, what happened before? What happens next? What does
the look on her face and the touch of his hand tell you. Is this is a
'before' or an 'after' fantasy.
The picture sets limits on what the words "When I kiss
my man" can mean. They are limited to being about hetero-sexual
contact. The words-- without the picture--could apply also to
homo-sexual contact. The big question is: Why would anyone use such a
blatantly sexual picture to sell non-sexual products? The answer
seems strange.
As far back as 30 years ago, some research studies were
reported to show that strong sexual content REDUCES conscious recall
of an ad and its product. In other words, after being exposed to the
ad you are not likely to be able to tell yourself (of anyone else)
that you remember the ad or what product it was for. BUT, that
doesn't mean it wasn't effective. Studies also show that remembering
was enhanced. Although you don't consciously recall it, you do have
the ad & product stored in mind for later use--such as an
impulsive (unplanned) purchase of the product, "just to give it a
try."
Corporate researchers may or may not actually know if
obvious or subtle sexual content in ads has had significantly
different impacts on individuals and on society at various stages of
the sexual revolution. Do they have answers to the question: would
subliminal details in ads be more or less effective in selling
products during a sexually repressed era than during a sexually open
era? For commercial reasons, researchers probably would be
constrained from saying much, especially if they knew for sure.
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