Lord Calvert Canadian

"After all, it is like trying not to think of a polar bear.  Try to pose for yourself this task: not to think of a polar bear, and you will see that the cursed thing will come to mind every minute." - Fyoder Dostoevsky

The practice of placing hidden (subliminal) imagery in select print advertisements is a technique used by advertisers.  Advertisers know that most people will not spend much time looking at print advertisements.  Therefore, hidden (subliminal) ideas, imagery, and words can be placed in print advertisements without immediate detection.

The Dark Side of Subliminal Advertising is a blog site that exposes the advertising technique of placing hidden (subliminal) imagery, ideas, and words in advertisements. 

It is important to realize that ads are not designed for the conscious mind, they are deliberately designed to reach the subconscious mind.

On average, people look at a print ad for no more than two seconds.  Therefore the advertiser has two seconds in which to convey a message.

With this in mind, look closely at this advertisement and see if you notice anything interesting:

Take another look at this section of this print advertisement.  Do you see the image of the polar bear under the word “IMPORTED”?

Here is another comparison:

This ad contains both a clear image of a polar bear on the glass canister and a subliminal image of a polar bear on the bottle of Canadian Lord Calvert whisky.

AD ANALYSIS:

Market research has shown that a brand’s identity can be elevated with an animal mascot. ²

According to Kimberly Nicole Moyer:

“It is important to understand how animals are used in magazine advertisements, especially if a company is looking for a creative way to market a product. Using animals is very memorable and animals also have ties to symbolism.  This is associated with the Gestalt psychology similarity law.  If a certain animal is used with a particular product, and when the same animal is seen in a different setting, the original product will be recalled in the viewer's memory.” ³

In this print advertisement, an association has been established with the polar bear and Canadian Lord Calvert whisky.  According to  the encyclopedia Britannica, "Except for one species of grizzly bear, the polar bear is the largest and most powerful carnivore on land.  It has no natural predators and knows no fear of humans, making it an extremely dangerous animal." ⁴

Just as a polar bear is extremely dangerous, consuming too much whisky can also be extremely dangerous.