Subliminal Marketing And The Colour Purple.

I was surprised to see this much discussed ad run on TV last night, having assumed it was just an online viral effort.

It's interesting to read the theory behind it, however, my initial reaction had been that it was just a vaguely intriguing image designed to draw attention to the pack shot at the end. Yes it's a drumming gorilla but, having acknowledged that, I've looked away and my attention is lost. Especially on TV.

Smarter people will, I hope, tell me I'm missing the point, yet it seems to me that a static image is much more likely to engage the viewer and get them wondering "what's all about?" As was demonstrated two decades ago by another purple campaign which used the compulsory health warning as a clue to comprehension.