How much can a person be aware of, at different levels,when glancing at an ad page for less than three seconds? Does anything count as subliminal in a laxative ad like the one below? You see this ad only half as big as it was on its original page. We'll use a closup view to recreate what you would have seen in the original. But we'll focus only on a few key details now.

What's the story here--the before and after? Her black shoes, red dress and ear-rings suggest she went from working, probably in an office, to shopping. His pants and shirt suggest he was at work too. If so, they weren't with the child all day. Those details help to 'prove' the ad's first statement: "A woman's life isn't always easy on her." If that's 'true,' is the rest of the ad true?

The "gentle laxative more women prefer." Over what? Other laxatives?

The key message of this laxative ad is not stated in words. It is pictured. If you put into words what the picture is implying, the message is: even a relatively young, health conscious woman who eats healthy, high-fiber vegetable meals will still have to use Correctol to avoid constipation. Where did I get that idea? Notice the picture details. They send the ad's message in a glance.

Now go to the closeup view.

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