This Is Your Brain on Logos

Subliminal advertising may be "more effective than regular advertising, because people don't have time to raise their anti-ad defenses," according to a new study. Duke University and University of Waterloo researchers "tested 341 students, who were told they were taking a 'visual acuity test.'" During the test, the students were secretly shown a corporate logo for 30 milliseconds. Afterwards, "students were given a second task to think of all the possible ways they could use a brick." Students shown the Apple logo "came up with more ways of using the brick, and were judged to have come up with the more creative uses," compared to those shown the IBM logo. Students shown the Disney logo "subsequently behaved much more honestly than those who saw the E! Channel logos." In a statement, one researcher suggested that "companies with established brand associations ... may want to give serious consideration to shifting marketing resources to product placement opportunities and other forms of outreach that emphasize brief brand exposures."