Despite a lack of evidence that subliminal messages experimentally embedded in advertisements produce predictable effects, many people believe they know what "subliminal advertising" is and believe that it is used and that it works. A study investigated this belief. Subjects, 206 Fostoria, Ohio residents, were given two questionnaires that inquired about response to a test ad, response to an advertised product (Grand Marnier Liqueur), and belief about advertising's power in general. The questionnaires were identical except that Treatment 1 was titled "Subliminal Advertising Survey" and Treatment 2 was titled "Advertising Survey," with corresponding differences in introductory explanatory paragraphs. Respondents for Treatment 1 indicated less willingness to purchase the advertised brand than those for Treatment 2. Results suggest that consumers who are thinking about the possibility of "subliminal" messages in an ad may exhibit a lower intention to purchase the product advertised, which implies that the advertising industry may want to investigate this issue, and, possibly, be more vocal about the claimed nonuse of subliminal techniques in ads. (One figure and one table of data are included, and 20 references are appended.) (MS)