Messages feeding into your SUBconscious

Think back recently to when you’ve had an intense desire to consume a specific food. Maybe you really fancied eating that whole bag of Maltesers lurking in the pantry. You might have even felt an absolute need to buy a meatball sub (or maybe you’re more of a chicken teriyaki fan?) on your lunch break. Whatever your unique creation at subway is your cravings could be linked to subliminal messages from marketers.

Subliminal perception refers to our perception of or reaction to very weak or rapid stimuli which occurs below the level of conscious awareness. This means as a consumer we are not aware we have seen the message. It is a technique whereby a subtle message is inserted into an otherwise standard advertisement. The use of subtle messages is employed by marketers in an attempt to manipulate our mind and affect consumers behaviour.

Previous research has shown there is some evidence that subliminal stimuli may influence affective reactions. This is our feelings and emotions that a person experiences in relation to a situation. The interpretation of this stimuli can help a consumer to form their perception, attitudes and attach meaning towards a particular brand or product.

In 2018, Subway decided to utilise subliminal messages for their marketing campaign. The particular campaign ran over a three-day course and appeared across a multitude of channels. Subway ran short-form ads which were minimally branded. In order for it to be considered subliminal, cues are flashed quickly so that viewers don’t perceive them. It lies just below the threshold of our conscious awareness.

The second phase of the campaign involved releasing longer videos confirming they were in fact advertisements for subway. It urged consumers to satisfy their hunger through eating Subway. The aim of this campaign was to reach people during those lean in moments when they were likely to be questioning what they just saw.

Once the viewer has been drawn in Subway uses this as an opportunity to convey relevant information about their product and brand. In the extended clips, they show photos of fresh ingredients on their most popular subs and then flashing the “cheap price” of their product at the end. After watching these clips a viewer may then perceive subway as being a healthy fast food option, which offers reasonable priced products, and is able to satisfy their cravings.

Characteristics of the stimulus can play an important role in determining what gets noticed and what is ignored by the audience. One key principle for designing an effective advertisement is it has to attract attention. This can be achieved through contrast. One of the factors used to create contrast is through novelty.

Novelty refers to stimuli that appears in unexpected ways or places which tend to grab our attention. In addition to the short-form ads, Subway used 3D chalk to portray a giant meatball sub crashing through the pavement and used sand artists to create a giant subway out of sand. When novelty is used effectively it can help to cut through the clutter of advertisements and gain consumers attention.

Resources Used:

Buss, D 2018 ‘Seeing Subs lately? That’s Subway’s SUBliminal advertising’ viewed 29th March https://www.brandchannel.com/2018/06/27/subway_subliminal_advertising

Solomon, Michael., Russell-Bennett, R. and Previte, J 2019, Consumer Behaviour, Australian Edition, 4th Ed, Pearson