What is Subliminal Priming?
Brief or subtle brand cues are placed where you will absorb them without consciously noticing, nudging choices you make later.
Where it comes from
Lab Priming Studies to Modern UI
How it hooks you
Exploits pre-conscious processing: cues you never consciously register can still bias later decisions.
What the research shows
Neuroimaging shows dynamic food ads activate brain reward regions more strongly than static images, below conscious filtering.
Source: Karremans et al., 'Beyond Vicary's fantasies: subliminal priming and brand choice', JESP (2006)
How to resist it
When a craving or preference appears out of nowhere, try to trace where you last saw the brand. Identifying the source weakens the effect.