Trying to quit smoking? Well, subliminal messaging might be holding you back.
At least that’s what some people are claiming after a photo of a BP service station near the Central Coast surfaced, its pylons looking suspiciously similar to cigarettes.
Twitter user Rupert Hanson spotted the sneaky plug, which of course may not be on purpose, and captioned the pic: “This has to be an attempt to make servo customers buy smokes”.
The pylons along the footpath were painted white with an orange top, and it was Hanson who noticed the off-brand bollards, which are typically painted green and yellow.
This has to be an attempt to make servo customers buy smokes pic.twitter.com/6DWUSNLq3V
— Rupert H (@rpy) January 9, 2016
“That’s when it struck me they looked almost exactly like cigarettes and given service stations are always searching for ways to lure customers in the store to buy groceries, it occurred to me it could easily be subliminal advertising to get motorists to pick up some overpriced darts,” he told Yahoo7.
Reddit users of course jumped on the bandwagon, supporting Hanson’s claims with comments like, “After advertising bans and plain packaging laws the cigarette companies need to find new ways to get people to smoke” and “Are you smoking yet?!”
But naturally it’s all in the eye of the beholder, as one less convinced user pointed out.
“If you feel like smoking looking at that you have a severe psychological issue that needs addressing,” the user wrote.
