How does advertising make us want things?

Answer each question with 2–3 sentences.

1. Which advert do you remember best?
2. Do you think you are influenced by advertising?
3. Have you ever bought something because of an advert?
4. Do you use an ad blocker? Why, or why not?
5. Which advertising techniques annoy you most?
6. Do you prefer ads on TV, online or in the street?

Read each word and the example. Then say a sentence about advertising.

Choose the word that fits.

1. The art of getting people to believe or do something is called .
2. The charity launched a six-month to raise awareness.
3. The company spent millions building a recognisable .
4. A famous athlete's public support for a product is an .
5. A person who buys goods and services is a .
6. The advertisement was because it hid the real price.
7. She did not plan to buy it; she bought it on .
8. Some advertisers people's fears to sell their products.

Choose the right answer, then press Check answers.

1. persuasion is the act of making someone
   leave a roombelieve or do somethingforget something
2. a brand is a name that people
   translateforgetrecognise
3. an endorsement is
   a legal penaltypublic supporta delay
4. misleading = giving a
   clear explanationwrong impressionshort answer
5. an impulse is a
   careful planlong delaysudden wish
6. scarcity means something is
   rarenewcheap

Use these phrases to analyse persuasion and to emphasise your point.

• It does seem that...Справді здається, що...It does seem that ads work better than we admit.
• I did notice that...Я таки помітив, що...I did notice that the price was higher.
• So effective was the campaign that...Кампанія була настільки ефективною, що...So effective was the campaign that sales doubled.
• It was such a clever advert that...Це була така розумна реклама, що...It was such a clever advert that everyone shared it.
• It plays on our fear of missing out.Вона грає на страху щось пропустити.It plays on our fear of missing out.
• The message is aimed at...Повідомлення розраховане на...The message is aimed at young parents.
• What advertisers really want is...Чого справді хочуть рекламісти — це...What advertisers really want is our attention.
• We are bombarded with...Нас бомбардують...We are bombarded with adverts every day.

Read the text. Hover over the dotted words for help.

1. Advertisers sell only facts about products.
   TrueFalse
2. Social proof means we tend to trust what others do.
   TrueFalse
3. "Share a Coke" put first names on bottles.
   TrueFalse
4. The text says advertising completely controls us.
   TrueFalse
5. Bernays is said to have organised the 1929 "torches of freedom" event.
   TrueFalse

1. Which technique works best on you?
2. Is advertising to children acceptable?
3. Should misleading advertising be banned?
4. Would you choose a career in advertising?

Common mistakes: use do / does / did + base verb for emphasis (not did + past form), so + adjective + that and such + (a) + noun + that. ✗ I did liked the advert → I did like the advert. ✗ It was so a good campaign that → It was such a good campaign that. ✗ She is such clever that → She is so clever that.

1. I
   did likedid liked
   the advert.
2. She
   does knowdoes knows
   the techniques.
3. It was
   so a cleversuch a clever
   advert that everyone shared it.
4. The campaign was
   sosuch
   effective that sales doubled.
5. So effective wasSo was effective
   the campaign that sales doubled.
6. Such
   was its successits success was
   that it was copied everywhere.
7. They
   did saydid said
   the price was low, but it wasn't.
8. The slogan was
   such catchyso catchy
   that I still remember it.

Each sentence has one mistake. Type the correct words.

1. I did liked the advert. →
2. It was so a clever advert that we shared it. →
3. She is such clever that she sees through ads. →
4. So effective the campaign was that sales doubled. →
5. He do know the tricks. →
6. Such its success was that it was copied. →

Answer in detail. Use emphatic structures and inversion after negative adverbials.

1. Which advertising technique do you find most effective, and why?
2. Can you think of an advert that was so good that you remember it?
3. Do you think advertising does influence you?
4. How do you protect yourself from impulse buying?
5. Which brands do you feel loyal to? Why?
6. Should advertisers be allowed to target children?

Three people discuss advertising. Compare them. Who is the most critical? Who finds it useful? Whose view is closest to yours?

Your teacher will time you.

1. Plan for one minute, then speak for one or two minutes.
2. Part 1: describe an advert that worked on you and say which technique it used.
3. Part 2: say whether advertising controls us (use emphatic do / did and so… that).
4. Part 3: give one rule you would introduce for advertisers.

1. Which advert do you remember best?
2. Do you think adverts influence you?
3. Have you bought something because of an endorsement?
4. What do you buy on impulse?
5. Do you trust online reviews?
6. Which brand do you feel loyal to?
7. Do you notice adverts on social media?
8. Have you ever regretted a purchase?

1. Who in your family is easiest to persuade?
2. Who makes decisions about shopping at home?
3. Who recommended a product to you recently?
4. Who do you trust for advice before you buy?
5. Who in your life never buys on impulse?
6. Who creates adverts in your country?

1. Is advertising a form of manipulation?
2. Should advertising be regulated more strictly?
3. Are celebrities a good way to sell products?
4. Would a world without advertising be better?
5. Is it ethical to use scarcity to sell?