Cue Card: Advertisement

Topic: Describe an unforgettable advertisement that you saw or heard 

You should say

• where you saw or heard it
• what kind of advertisement it was
• what the contents of the advertisement were and explain why this advertisement is so unforgettable

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IELTS Speaking Part 2 Sample: 

While waiting for my boyfriend to pick me up for work , I was watching advertisements on the TV in the lobby. That night I saw an advertisement that has forever stuck in my mind. It was a commercial for Nike shoes with Michael Jordan. In it he said, “I’ve missed more than nine thousand shots in my career. I’ve lost almost three hundred games. Twenty-six times I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot but missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life, and that is why I succeed.” I couldn’t get that commercial out of my mind, not because I thought buying Nike shoes would make me as successful as Michael Jordan, but because of his unflinching determination and perseverance. Life is full of challenges and difficulties that test our level of commitment. I believe having determination divides the winners from the losers. Successful people are not ones who have never failed, but those who kept trying. As simple as this may sound, it is the one ingredient that separates the winners from the losers. The one skill that winners acquire is an understanding that growth is only possible if you have the courage to change what you have been doing, if it is not achieving the result you desire. Sometimes success is learning how to fall and recognizing that from that fall you will learn to grow. And growth is what a fulfilling life is all about.

IELTS Speaking part 3 Follow Up Questions

1. How do advertisements attract attention?

It all depends on what group of people the advertisement is aimed for. Young people look if it’s cool, hip, or fashionable; whereas older people tend to be more practical-minded, so those in charge of advertising need to have a clear idea of who they will be targeting with their advertisement, and plan accordingly. If the advertisement is geared to the younger generation, then showing how the product can help kids be more attractive, confident, or successful is good. Catchy music also helps attract attention and helps listeners remember it. If you’re trying to reach the older generation with your advertisement, explaining how the product will give them better health, or help them relax, or be happier may appeal to them.

2. Do young and old people have the same attitudes towards advertisements?

Definitely not. Every individual has his own unique attitude towards advertisements and the advantages and disadvantages that advertising brings. Both old and young people are inclined to believe and think that advertisements tend to be misleading, dishonest, phony, shallow, and at times annoying, especially when they’re not well made or dorky. On the other hand, if done well, they can be very creative, humorous, artistic, and enjoyable to watch .Those, however, are the exception, rather than the norm.

3. Do you think advertisements are a good or bad influence on children?

Looking at today’s children, I would have to say advertisements have predominately had a negative influence on their lives and character. Ads create a discontentment with what children have and a desire to own more and to be like everyone else. Advertisements usually tend to be unrealistic and give a false impression of how the children should be or what will happen when they buy the product.

4. Do you think advertisements actually influence people to buy things? And How?

When seen a lot. advertisements make products more familiar and ingrained in people’s mind, so when they want to buy something, they will take a brand that they recognize. In China, people want to be like the West and so they buy what they see on TV that the Western people have. They think that if they have this Western product, they will be as cool as this person, which is totally bizarre to my mind.

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