Subliminal Advertising There is no doubt that advertising plays a vital role in today's society. In an article related to advertising, Marshal McLuhan stated, “The continuing pressure is to create advertisements increasingly in the image of the public's motivations and desires” (Fowles 658). To achieve success in advertising, a company must captivate the psyche of consumers long enough so that they stop to look at the product on display. To be on top, advertisers have to go above and beyond, which can sometimes lead to deceptive practices. By definition, a subliminal message is a signal or message embedded in another message, designed to pass below the normal limits of perception. These messages are not evident to the conscious mind, but in certain situations they can influence the subconscious or deeper mind and influence actions or attitudes. Many question the authenticity of subliminal advertising; to put it simply, yes, subliminal advertising is real. Subliminal messages have often been used in advertising in many different aspects: by creating artificial needs, advertisers and product manufacturers encourage and employ the use of subliminal sexual messages and use subliminal messages as a means to help people. Over the years, advertisers have done a lot of research to find the most effective ways to reach the consumer, and while many advertising companies deny the use of subliminal advertising, the fact remains that many ads out there are now considered subliminal. Advertisements are ubiquitous, no matter what, everyone is influenced by advertising in some way. Advertising appeals to our needs with products and promises that lead consumers to believe the product will satisfy… middle of paper… consumers are the ones who control the fate of the product. Works Cited“Claims on the Power of Subliminal Advertising.” February 9, 2008.Fowles, jib. “The Fifteen Fundamental Appeals of Advertising.” ETC. 39:3 1982. Rpt. In writing and reading across the curriculum. 10th ed. Eds. Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen. New York: Pearson/Longman, 2008. 657-674Kiesel, Diane. “Subliminal seduction”. ABA Journal 70.7 (July 1984): 25. Premier Academic Research. EBSCO. [Delgado Community College Library], [New Orleans], [LA]. February 12, 2008. http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=4786809&site=ehost-live>.Kilbourne, Jean. "Jesus is a brand of jeans." New Internationalist (September 2006): 10-12. Premier of academic research. EBSCO. [Delgado Community College Library], [New Orleans], [LA]. February 12 2008. .