How would you answer this question: Describe an advertisement that persuaded you to buy a product
"I never knew I needed an advertisement to persuade me to buy a product – until I saw an ad that made me do just that!"
Describe an advertisement that persuaded you to buy a product
IELTS Speaking Test Part 1
Do you work or study?
At the moment, both. I study full time and work part-time in the evenings and at weekends.
Do you think that your job is too hard?
No, not really. It's not a very demanding job, but then I only do it part-time to help fund my education. Maybe if I did it full-time every day, it would be more difficult.
What do you usually do after work?
Well, I usually finish work quite late, at around 10.30 pm, so I normally get on the bus and go straight home to eat dinner and then study. Maybe on Friday night I might sometimes go out and meet some friends.
Did you go to parks during your childhood?
Yes, almost every day. We lived right next to a park, so it was one of my favorite places to play after school. It was big and had lots of things you could do there. It was always full of children playing.
How often do you go to the parks now?
Really, not very often, maybe when I go out with my family or during vacations from university. I'm too busy to go to the park as I used to before. It would be nice to go more often, but I don't have enough time nowadays.
Do you think parks are important for people?
Absolutely, it's a change of scenery from being at home, the office or in school. You can enjoy the scenery, the lake and the fresh air, take your dog for a walk if you have one, and my favorite park is far away from the traffic, so it's peaceful when I go there.
What do you do to relax?
I don't get that much time to relax nowadays. This year is very busy for me, but when I get some free time, I like to listen to music, or maybe meet up with my friends and go out someplace to enjoy ourselves. I used to like reading a lot, but nowadays I do a lot of reading for my studies, so I like to do something different when I have free time to relax.
Do you think people have enough time to relax?
I think most people would say no. I certainly feel that I have much less time to relax than in the past. I think the pace of life ten years ago was much less frantic, and people had more time for other things apart from studying and work. Life has become much more competitive nowadays, and it doesn't leave much time for relaxing. I think people tend to plan relaxation activities more now than in the past because they know it's important.
IELTS Speaking Test Part 2
Describe an advertisement that persuaded you to buy a product
You should say:- what the product was
- what the advertisement was about
- where you saw it
IELTS cue card
Describe an advertisement that persuaded you to buy a product
Sample Answer
About a couple of months ago I saw an advertisement on the internet for a special pair of running shoes. The ad was shown during a commercial break in a series I was watching online. The picture caught my attention first, because the shoes looked very different from conventional running shoes. They were designed like a pair of gloves for your feet if you know what I mean.
They were made from a special 'breathable' material and had a synthetic sole grafted onto the body so that they fitted like a glove on your foot. But the bottom was quite similar to a normal running shoe so that it gripped well and protected your feet.
Unlike a normal running shoe, each toe was separate. It was strange to see something like that because I had just been wondering a few weeks earlier why someone hadn't invented a running shoe like this before - and then a couple of weeks later, I came across them on the internet. I wasn't even looking for them or anything.
Anyway, the ad was a 360 degrees color photo of the shoes, showing them from all angles and some technical and product information about them. There was also a video that was maybe 3 or 4 minutes long and showed a runner going up a rocky hill and it explained how these running shoes allowed the runner to 'feel' more of the ground underneath his feet and grip better because of the flexing motion of the bottom of the shoes.
It was more an informative ad than anything arty or creative, but it made me want to buy the shoes because I hadn't seen them before and wanted to try them, so I ordered a pair in my size, and they arrived a couple of days later. I've tried them out a couple of times so far, and they seem good. They cost me just a little bit more than normal running shoes, but I think they're worth the extra money. The running experience is quite different from normal, and I prefer it.
So that's an example of one such advertisement that persuaded me to buy a product.
IELTS Speaking Test Part 3
What kinds of media are available for advertising in your country?
All the usual channels such as TV, radio, internet, magazines, newspapers, hoardings and billboards and such like, really anything you can think of people will use to advertise products or a brand. Promotional gimmicks such as T-shirts and cars are often used to promote an event or brand.
Are there any other traditional kinds of media for advertising other than TV and newspapers?
Yes. Large billboards are very popular, although mainly used by well established brands because renting the space is expensive. Radio advertising is still popular because it's inexpensive compared to national TV or newspapers.
And then there are those sponsors who promote themselves at sports events using the traditional media of large displays or having their company name or brand on the sports equipment. There are still many traditional ways that companies promote their products through advertising, even though many companies are now spending a lot of money on internet advertising.
What products are usually advertised using these different media types?
In the case of local radio or a local news channel, I think they are mainly products with a local appeal because many different local radio stations are available. The large billboards seem to be mainly occupied by mass-market products like mobile phone brands, fashion-orientated goods or maybe food and drink products. Large companies typically use them to sell a product or service which appeals to the masses.
What are your thoughts on inappropriate ads? Do you think they are harmful or offensive?
Inappropriate ads can be harmful or offensive because they might not be age-appropriate or relevant to the viewer. They can also be misleading, causing people to make poor decisions.
Also, some ads might exploit vulnerable people or promote illegal activities which can be harmful to society. Artificial intelligence algorithms are supposed to be able to monitor such content, but they're never perfect.
What do you think about companies that use inappropriate ads?
I think it's wrong for companies to produce and show inappropriate ads because children and teens are impressionable and might not understand the message behind the ad. Companies that use inappropriate advertising lack social responsibility and should be avoided.
What are some benefits of creative advertisements?
Some benefits of creative advertisements are that they can effectively grab attention, convey a message in an interesting way, and make a lasting impression. When done well, thought provoking adverts can be very memorable and impactful, helping a brand to stand out from the competition. Additionally, a well-thought-out advertisement influences positive brand associations and equity over time.
How do you think artificial intelligence and machine learning influence advertising nowadays?
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are increasingly being used in advertising. This is because they can help to target ads more effectively and personalize them for individual users.
AI and machine learning can also help to optimize ad campaigns and make them more cost-effective. In the future, AI and machine learning are likely to have an even greater impact on advertising, as they become more sophisticated and are able to handle more complex tasks.
In what ways has the relationship between television shows and TV advertisements changed in recent years?
In recent years, the relationship between television shows and TV advertisements has changed in several ways. One significant change is that there are now more opportunities for companies to place ads within TV programs themselves, through product placement or other means.
This allows businesses to target their advertising more specifically to viewers of certain shows, and also allows them to avoid paying so much. Those old-style ads break the viewer's focus on their show and many people were irritated by such ads.
Another change is that TV networks and streaming services are increasingly offering ad-free options to viewers, for an additional fee. This means that viewers willing to pay more can avoid seeing commercials altogether.
Finally, the rise of digital video recorders (DVRs) and other technologies has made it easier for viewers to avoid commercial breaks in their favorite shows.
More Part 3 advertising questions