“A virtual social H‐bomb”: the late 1950s controversy over subliminal advertising

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the beginning of the controversy over subliminal advertising in late 1957, as news of a supposedly successful commercial test of subliminal advertising became widely disseminated. The paper investigates the test and the reactions to it. Design/methodology/approach The paper reviews many contemporary accounts of the events described, and pieces together a coherent description and interpretation of what happened. This is of course standard historical methodology. Findings The primary finding is that many reactions to subliminal advertising were fearful and wildly overblown – and have continued to be so down to the present despite no proof that subliminal advertising is effective. The deep roots of the fear are best explained by the paranoid and fearful intellectual climate in the USA. Originality/value The originality of the paper lies in its thorough review of original sources, and in its explanation of why the fear of subliminal advertising became so intense.

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