IELTS Speaking Part 2
Describe an advertisement you remember well
You should say:
- Where you saw it
- What it was about
- What it was like
and explain why you remember it well.
Sample Answer
I recall seeing an advertisement some time ago which ended up very memorable to me. I think it was at a friend’s house when I first saw it. I was browsing through different channels on his TV when I came across the promotional video for a washing machine. It was a very fancy-sounding brand name, and I think it was Chinese? I couldn’t remember exactly because all my attention was drawn into what happened inside the video clip.
So, in the ad, a woman was shown to put various objects into the washing machine. After letting the machine clean the items, she pulled them out and displayed them on the screen. It was very clear that every single one of them would become significantly cleaner and shinier by the time the washer finished working. But what made the ad stood out was that each object was more whimsical than the previous one.
At first, the woman only washed ordinary clothing items, but she then put a crow into the washing machine, and what do you know, the jet black crow became a pristine white dove! Eventually, the final object was an extremely muddy motorcycle which turned squeaky clean and indistinguishable from a brand new one.
I was bedazzled by the advert since I’d never seen anything so filled with creativity. Now that I think about it, I have no doubt that sales of this washing machine skyrocketed thanks to the ad.
IELTS Speaking Part 3
1. What makes an advertisement effective?
In my opinion, what allows an advert to be impactful is the ability to create an impression on the audience without relying on shocking imagery or speech. Advertisements for cleaning products tend to do this very well because the products’ use is very simple, but there are tons of ways to showcase the effectiveness.
2. What is the purpose of advertising?
I used to think that advertising serves to boost the sales of merchandise. It has naturally worked like that throughout the history of advertising, hasn’t it? However, I think recently, there has been a trend where adverts are produced not only to improve sales, but also to highlight social causes and issues within the community. I’ve had that idea on my mind ever since seeing an ad that calls attention to gender equality.
3. How have advertisements changed since you were a child?
One of the changes that stands out to me is the involvement of celebrities. In the past, there were very few public figures featured on adverts, but nowadays, celebrity endorsement is used very liberally by ad makers. Having famous people on your advertisement, especially those who are on the rise, is a way to capitalize on the latest viral trends.
Secondly, advert producers these days are more professional than they used to be. You could see that in the artistic design and computer-generated imagery that are displayed in contemporary promotional videos.
