The Secret Sales Pitch: An Overview of Subliminal Advertising

by August Bullock

-A fascinating look at how media manipulates the mind; -A handbook for marketing, psychology, sociology, and related classes; -A "how to manual" for artists, advertisers, and business people... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0974264008
• ISBN13: 9780974264004
• Release Date: January 2004
• Publisher: Norwich Publishers
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.

Customer Reviews

An excellent read, something you won't forget in a hurry..

I'm a graphic designer, with a special interest in the power of subliminal advertising. Having recently compiled a written paper on this subject, Bullock's 'The Secret Sales Pitch' was immensely helpful. Bullock has mananged to summarise complex theory into easy-to-read chapters, that would be perfect for those studying the subject or would be interested in learning about this facinating area. Subliminal examples are clearly identified and supported with full colour images, making points easily recognisable to the reader. Bullock's style of writing is accurate yet humorous at times, personalising his own experiences. He has also included possible experiments that the reader can test out for themselves. I did just that, and the results were incredibly revealing. If you thought you understood the hidden arts of subliminal persuasion, this book is bound to teach you something new and will ultimately broaden your perceptions of advertising in today's society. A must-have in anyone's book collection.

Very thought provoking

This book really goes into great study lenghs to give you an overview of what has gone on in the past and may be going on today. At the very least it is eye opening and kind of makes you think about what we see in advertising from a different prospective. I am excited to think we can change our future through sublimial messages. Still I can see that is very much up for debate. Great reading on a fasinating subject.

A Phenominal Epic Masterpiece of a Book

"The Secret Sales Pitch" is a marvelous book, as well as a labor of love, which seems to have been years in the making. It is an indispensible resource in the field of subliminal messages. The book is extremely enjoyable, with a number of easy to understand examples and a free-and-easy, insightful, witty manner of speech. However, it never strays from tackling a serious subject that can affect everyone everyday. Kudos to Bullock for making this book available to the public.

Psychology, marketing, and manipulation

Subliminal messages in advertising - many people claim they exist, most advertisers claim they do not. In "The Secret Sales Pitch" author August Bullock presents a strong case not only for the existence of subliminal influences in marketing but also for their effectiveness. Some of the examples in the book are very obvious once they are pointed out and there is no question that they exist, others seem to be a bit of a stretch. Prepare to be both surprised and at times appalled at the things advertisers put in their marketing pieces. It is important to point out that some of the subliminal examples could also be an accident of light and photography. As an avid photographer myself I have had some photos end up with what would appear to be subliminal messages and images entirely by accident. Some of them were less of a stretch than some of the examples in this book. This is not to say that his examples are not created on purpose as part of a subliminal plan. Many of them are unquestionable created for this purpose. There is also no question that psychology plays a very important role in advertising. One thing that differentiates this book form similar ones is that Mr. Bullock not only examines the subliminal items hidden in the picture but also explains the psychology behind other parts of the advertising piece. "The Secret Sales Pitch" is a highly recommended read for anyone interested in marketing and the use of subliminal messages in advertising.

Shocking and Thought Provoking

With a degree in marketing and experience in graphic arts, I was aware of the basics of subliminal marketing messages. However, I was unaware of the pervasive presence of such hidden messages in mass market advertising --- the traditional marketing classes generally describe subliminal marketing as "untested" (perhaps because the high level advertising agencies keep their research confidential).Bullock describes an ad for an alcoholic beverage -- an ad that I recall viewing in some detail as I rode the subway to work each day. At that time, I found the image in the ad both disturbing and riveting -- but I could not understand what kept bringing my eyes back to further study it. (As I never drink the particular product being advertised, it wasn't due to any obvious interest on my part.) Imagine my surprise when, there in The Secret Sales Pitch, is that ad I remember from the subway train thoroughly dissected and explained. It _does_ have disturbing aspects, I was _not_ going crazy to have been drawn to the image -- there were many distrubing subliminal aspects that I couldn't identify until I saw the discussion in the book.I no longer simply look at any mass market ad without looking for hidden messages ... and I've seen some ads that have an initial "innocence" that, upon reflective examination, have many subtle images that reach out to our most basic emotions.Read this book and you'll never be able to just look at an ad ever again without wondering what secret messages the advertiser is sending you.