Advertising

I’M AN ADVERT AND COMMERCIAL JUNKIE.  Could this be bad for my health, my mental well-being and my pocket?

Advertising has grown to be an industry worth many billions of pounds across the world. Furthermore, it is said that online advertising alone is worth £35 billion a year. Almost all public spaces have some advertisements in sight, and all forms of media, from newspapers, to the Internet, from the TV to the radio, use adverts and commercials to grab our attention. Yes, it’s true, you might find it difficult to find love but you can’t avoid marketing; it’s here, it’s there, it’s simply everywhere!

Although this helps companies sell their products, and supports consumers to learn what is on offer, many people believe that this huge amount of advertising can be harmful. Indeed, according to many researchers, adverts can cause eating disorders, depression and overspending. Despite these obvious risks, I don’t know about you, but I just can’t help myself!

 

Different Types of Advertising

1. Print Advertising – Newspapers, Magazines, Brochures, Fliers
2. Outdoor Advertising – Billboards, Kiosks, Trade-shows and Events
3. Broadcast Advertising – Television, Radio
4. Phone Advertising –Texts, video
5. Public Service Advertising
6. Online Advertising –The Internet,Email
7. Product placement – Films, TV, The Internet
8. Celebrity Endorsement

Not sure what they all mean? Click here for some brief definitions

VOCABULARY CHALLENGES
1: All these words are connected to Advertising, but what do they mean?

Marketing, publicity, posters, adverts, junk mail, cold calling, online marketing, viral marketing,  TV commercials, jingle, slogans, to promote, radio airtime, direct mail, bill-boards, to plug, to promote, the classifieds.

2: It is widely known that effective marketing campaigns always have simple, memorable slogans.  The following slogans and companies are in the wrong order, can you connect the Companies to their correct Slogan?

Companies		Slogan
Mars		Reassuringly Expensive
L’oreal		Think different
Apple Computer		Where do you want to go today?
Mastercard		There are some things money can’t buy.For everything else, there’s XXXXXX
McDonalds		A XXX a day helps you work rest and play
Stella Artois		Have you had your break to day?
Nike		Because you’re worth it
Microsoft		Just do it

3 Public service adverts (PSA) are advertised with the objective of raising awareness and changing public attitudes and behaviour on a social issue. Such as, encouraging us to recycle, or to buy energy saving products, or to persuade us to volunteer for a local charity.

What do you think the following public service adverts telling us?

READING

Hotel Advert

De Vere Hotels and Resort

2 Night Spring Break

When the sun begins to make it through the clouds and the buds begin to blossom, you know spring time has arrived. It’s time to come out of your winter cocoon and escape for a 2 night Spring break with bed and breakfast in one of 11 stunning De Vere Hotels & Resorts. Start feeling refreshed and revitalised in luxurious rooms with award-winning cuisine, Championship standard golf courses, relaxing spas, and a whole host of exhilarating outdoor activities. Plus, treat yourselves to a little extra luxury with half price room upgrades.

2: Adventure Holiday Advert:

Dirty Boots – Adventure Guide South Africa

Calling Adrenaline Junkies

If you could add an ‘adrenaline’ topping to your pizza, you would. Your adventure seeking soul has seen you jumping off bridges, tackling white water rapids and swing your way across gorges. You’re now looking for your next thrill, your next adventure fix, your next opportunity to say “That was mental!” Don’t worry! We’ve got a loads of white-knuckle adventures for you.

How about: Shark Cage Diving Ever heard of the Great White Shark? Yes, the one that practically swims around with the Jaws theme tune playing at its fins. Well you can now pay a company to throw you in a secure cage, lower you into the water and attract these sharks by tossing food in the water. This is an epic combination of learning, nature and adrenaline.

3 Drinks Advert:

Innocent Drinks

Innocent Smoothies, Nothing but Nothing but Fruit

We crush all of this….. into this..( it’s a tight fit like spandex)

The thing about our smoothies is that they are made from crushed whole fruit. Not just the liquid stuff, but the whole darned shooting match. So you get all the flesh, fibre, vitamins, antioxidants, and other good bits that other drinks leave behind.  You lucky old thing.

An Innocent Promise: We promise that anything innocent will always taste good and do good.  We promise that we’ll never use concentrates, preservatives, stabilisers, or any weird stuff in our drinks. And we promise to brush our teeth twice a day.

LISTENING

1) Oreo Double Stuff Cookies

This has to be one of the cutest TV commercials. Click here for a lesson on how to eat oreos.

My favourite lines are:

• ‘Don’t laugh, it’s very hard’
• ‘You don’t have to say ‘mmmmm’; I just can’t help myself.’

2) Innocent Smoothies

2 of your 5 a day

I love oranges and I love orange juice: Click here

This year I’ll really focus, I’ll visualize myself getting healthier.  Ok, I’m running, I’m running…..Click here

3) Old Spice Aftershave

 Should your man smell like an Old Spice man?

These TV adverts were really popular with the ladies, but men, in general, hated them.

Click here to see the Old Spice man in action

SPEAKING

Activity One:  Expressing Opinions

Imagine you are in charge of developing the marketing campaign to sell a new organic non-alcoholic drink.  The following methods of promoting the drink have been suggested to you.

First talk about how effective each of these marketing techniques might be. Then decide which two would be best.

Activity Two: Can you talk for 2 minutes about….?

1. Have you bought something recently because of the advertising? What / Why?
2. Have you ever bought something that wasn’t as good as the adverts made you think?
3. Do you think marketing is essential for a business?
4. Are there any adverts that make you not want to buy the product?  Why?
5. Do you think people should be allowed to advertise alcoholic drinks / junk food?
6. Are there any products that you think the government should ban from advertising?
7. What do you think are the most effective forms of advertising?
8. What do you think are the least effective forms of marketing
9. Do you think using celebrities in advertising is effective?  Why?

Useful phrases to help you say general and personal opinions and ideas

GENERAL OPINIONS  AND IDEAS	PERSONAL OPINIONS AND IDEAS
It is said that…….	I believe that..
It has been reported that…	I think that… / I reckon….
My mother used to tell me that…	From experience, I would argue that..
The majority of teenagers in Spain think that..	It seems to me that..
It is widely considered that…..	From my point of view, I would suggest that

 Useful phrases to help you say more, and organize your ideas better.

Adding Information	Contrasting Information	Giving Reasons	Explaining  consequences	Ordering Information
In addition (to)	However	Because	So	Firstly, secondly, thirdly
And	But	Due to	Consequently	Finally
Moreover	While	Owing to	Therefore	To summarize
As well as	Although	Due to the fact that	As a consequence	In conclusion
Furthermore	On the one hand, ..however on the other hand…..	As a result	Hence	On balance, I think
Also	Despite the fact that
	In spite of

 

WRITING

Activity One:

This is part of an email you receive from an English friend

Usually, I can’t stand advertising but I’ve just seen the best TV commercial ever.  Do you like adverts, or do they get on your nerves? Do you think they are harmful?

Now write an email, answering your friend’s questions.

Activity Two:

You are selling these items on E-Bay.  Write a product advert for each thing.