, p. 31670) defined one embedding technique, as: " . . . the insertion of words or body forms . . . by the use of shadows or shading, or the substitution of forms or shapes generally associated with the body . . . ." The agency added that the " . . . consumer does not perceive them at a normal level of awareness, and thus is given non choice whether to accept or reject the message, as is the case with normal advertising" (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, 1984, p. 31672). Consequently, the agency ruled that the embedding technique amounted to false and deceptive advertising, which is prohibited by law (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, 1984). Previously, the Federal Communications Commission had declared that all subliminal advertising was contrary to the public interest, because such advertising was intended to be deceptive, and the Federal Trade Commission had prohibited the use of subliminal techniques in advertising (Key, 1989). None of the three regulations has ever been enforced (Key, 1989). Key (1989) and some others claim that the reason for non enforcement is that the agencies are controlled by the industries they are supposed to regulate, and that the regulations were issued simply to satisfy the public and the Congress that something was being done about subliminal advertising. The federal agencies, the advertising industries, and the industries represented by advertising contend that the reason for non enforcement is that subliminal advertising is not practiced.
Embedding is often thought of as images hidden within a picture by an artist. Nothing in embedding is hidden, however, by an artist. The hiding results from individual repression of what society has taught people to consider as obscene or taboo (Key, 1989).
Double entendre is the use of words and phrases, or the use of picture images with double meanings. While the double entendre technique is well understood, and while its use has been...