What was secret in 1958

I was browsing the web a bit and found an interesting article that was classified secret by the CIA in 1958. They teach this in advertising schools and is considered general knowledge today. Makes you think if they were doing this back than they must have some amazing tools by now with 50 more years of study into the subject.





CIA FOIA

Been happening for years my friend. Not just in adverts - have you seen the film the exorcist? The reason that is scary is because every few seconds between frames, scary shots of the devil are added and it scares you sub consciously, wierd eh?

Good points. I wasn't aware of that, nice find. I think you can do it with sound files aswell??

Originally posted by J0HNSmith
I was browsing the web a bit and found an interesting article that was classified secret by the CIA in 1958. They teach this in advertising schools and is considered general knowledge today. Makes you think if they were doing this back than they must have some amazing tools by now with 50 more years of study into the subject.

I think it was right around 1958 that use of subliminal adds was declared illegal and banned. One can assume that is what the CIA discovered. The time frame sure fits.

James Vicary, an advertising expert, went into a 1950s movie theater to test his devious new tool for persuading others: subliminal advertising.

During the movie he allegedly flashed the commands "EAT POPCORN" and "DRINK COKE" so fast that the unsuspecting audience couldn't consciously see the words. Vicary claimed Coke sales jumped 18.1% and popcorn sales leaped 57.7%.

On that day, subliminal advertising was born.

Today subliminal advertising is banned by most major countries. The FCC in America outlaws it by simply saying subliminal advertising is designed to deceive. For that reason alone it is forbidden to be used by any radio or television advertiser.

Source: www.mrfire.com...

Originally posted by timo
Been happening for years my friend. Not just in adverts - have you seen the film the exorcist? The reason that is scary is because every few seconds between frames, scary shots of the devil are added and it scares you sub consciously, wierd eh?

Sorry buddy, but that doesn't work that way. Those sublimal frames are too quick to be absorbed into your mind. The popcorn deal was found to be a hoax started by some advertisment guy who later disappeared with a whole lot of money from his customers.

Surf

During the fifties, work on behaviour modification using subliminal messages inserted into films was undertaken by the UK Chemical and Biological Warfare research centre based at Porton Down.

Two films that were made for this purpose by Porton Down are now available for viewing at the Imperial War Museaum at Kew, London.

Film Number:
DED 25 Film Title: [OPERATION 'HANGOVER': SPECIAL TITLES INSERTED TO ASSESS SUBLIMINAL APPRECIATION BY AN AUDIENCE OF TROOPS] [Allocated title]
[PORTON DOWN TRIALS NON-NITRATE COLLECTION] [Allocated series title]

Production Date: 1955
Production Country:
GB
Production Company:
Porton Down

Troops marching mcu (medium close up). Troops marching distance. Troops deploying on approaching objective. Sighting enemy. Skirmish. Operating under smoke screen cover. Donning respirators on receiving gas alert. Gas alert over. Troops widely deployed. Support weapons arriving. Moving up into smoke screen. Skirmish: Bren gun in action. Troops advancing into smoke screen. Communications. Bren Carrier. Simulated Mortar action. Field canteen. Film is interpersed with titles between one and twelve frames long eg "Danger ahead", "War is bad" and "A Skirmish". [Trial to test fighting capacity of troops exposed to nerve gas sarin (GB).]

Notes:
Technical Condition: Good
References: Listing of Porton Field Trial Programmes (ca 1945-1985) describes aims of Programme numbers noted in IWM film titles, eg Programme 24/71.
Access Conditions:
IWM
Film/Video Format:
16mm

Number of Reels:
1
Length: 300 ft
Black & White/Colour:
B&W

Silent/Sound:
Mute
Language of Soundtrack:
None
Language of Main Titles:
None
Language of Subtitles:
None




Film Number:
DED 22 Film Title: MEN OF THE ALPS [WITH SPECIAL TITLES INSERTED FOR SUBLIMINAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF EFFECT ON AUDIENCE OF TROOPS [Main title]
[PORTON DOWN TRIALS NON-NITRATE COLLECTION] [Allocated series title]

Production Date: 1955 ca
Production Country:
GB
Production Company:
Porton Down

Documentary film of life in Switzerland (made in 1937), with special titles inserted for subliminal impact assessment.
Various scenes of domestic, industrial and agricultural life in Switzerland. This film is self explanatory from the sound commentary recorded with the film.

Notes:
Technical Condition: Good
Technical (IWM): black and white (combined optical) print with mute subliminal caption inserts.
References: Listing of Porton Field Trial Programmes (ca 1945-1985) describes aims of Programme numbers noted in IWM film titles, eg Programme 24/71.
Access Conditions:
IWM
Film/Video Format:
16mm

Number of Reels:
1
Length: 362 ft
Black & White/Colour:
B&W

Silent/Sound:
Commag & Mute
Language of Soundtrack:
None
Language of Main Titles:
None
Language of Subtitles:
None

Other Porton Down films available at the IWM can be found in the IWM Archive.

Go to the IWM Film Archive and enter Porton into the top left search box to inspect the full list.

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