IELTS Speaking Practice: Advertising

Not usually — I tend to skip online ads or scroll past them. But I do notice adverts that are funny or visually creative; those can grab my attention even when I’m not interested in the product.

Useful language:scroll pastgrab my attention

I like ads that tell a short story, especially the emotional ones that appear around holidays. They feel more like mini films than adverts.

Useful language:tell a short storymini films

Yes, there was a TV advert for a chocolate bar with a catchy jingle. My friends and I used to sing it all the time — I can still remember the tune.

Useful language:a catchy jinglethe tune

Yes, I once bought a pair of running shoes after seeing an ad on social media with a big discount. They turned out to be good, so I didn’t regret it.

Useful language:turned out to be

Definitely. They’re everywhere — on buses, in apps, before videos. Sometimes it feels impossible to escape them, which can be quite tiring.

Useful language:impossible to escape

It’s clever but a little worrying. Online ads are highly targeted, so they’re often relevant, but it shows how much data companies collect about our behaviour.

Useful language:highly targetedcollect data

I think products like cigarettes, gambling and very unhealthy snacks shouldn’t be advertised, especially to children, because they can cause real harm.

Useful language:cause real harm

It has moved from TV and newspapers to social media and influencers. Ads are shorter, more personal, and often don’t even look like ads anymore.

Useful language:influencersdon’t look like ads

More than I’d like to admit. Even if I don’t buy something immediately, ads make me familiar with a brand, so I’m more likely to choose it later.

Useful language:more than I’d like to admitfamiliar with a brand

I’d like to talk about a TV and online advertisement for a mobile phone company that I saw a couple of years ago, around the New Year holidays.

The advertisement was for a new phone plan, but interestingly, the phone itself hardly appeared. Instead, it told the story of an elderly man living alone in a village who learns to make video calls so he can see his granddaughter, who has moved abroad to study.

I first saw it on television while having dinner with my family, and later it appeared on YouTube and social media, where it got millions of views. People were sharing it with messages like ‘call your grandparents’.

What made it memorable was its emotional storytelling. There was no loud music or list of prices — just quiet scenes of the man struggling with the phone, getting help from a neighbour’s son, and finally seeing his granddaughter’s face on the screen. The ending, where they both start crying and laughing, was very moving. Only in the last few seconds did the company’s logo appear.

As for how I felt, I have to admit it brought a tear to my eye, and it actually made me call my own grandmother that evening. At the same time, I was aware that it was a very clever marketing strategy — connecting the brand with family and love rather than technical features. Still, I think it’s one of the few adverts that left a positive message, which is probably why I remember it so clearly.

Useful language:hardly appearedemotional storytellingvery movingbrought a tear to my eyea clever marketing strategy

Advertising shapes not only what we buy but what we think we need. It creates associations between products and happiness or status, which can encourage impulse purchases and brand loyalty. With targeted online ads, it can also reach people at moments when they’re most likely to buy, which makes it more powerful than ever.

Useful language:creates associationsimpulse purchasestargeted online ads

The main concerns are misleading claims, targeting vulnerable groups like children, and promoting unrealistic body images. Another issue is privacy — online advertising relies on collecting personal data, often without people fully understanding it. There’s also ‘greenwashing’, where companies exaggerate how environmentally friendly they are.

Useful language:misleading claimsvulnerable groupsgreenwashing

Social media has made advertising more personal and interactive. Brands can target very specific audiences, work with influencers and get instant feedback through comments and shares. Small businesses can also compete with big brands on a small budget. However, the line between genuine recommendations and paid promotion has become blurred.

Useful language:interactiveinstant feedbackthe line has become blurred

Yes, in certain areas. Influencers should always clearly label paid content, and there should be stricter limits on advertising unhealthy food or gambling to young people. At the same time, rules shouldn’t be so strict that they prevent businesses from promoting legitimate products.

Useful language:clearly labelstricter limitslegitimate products

Advertising will probably become even more personalised, with AI creating different versions of an ad for each viewer. We may see more ads in virtual and augmented reality, and voice assistants recommending products. This raises questions about privacy and manipulation that regulators will need to address.

Useful language:personalisedaugmented realitymanipulation

Celebrity endorsement can be very effective because people trust or admire famous figures and want to share their lifestyle. It helps a product stand out quickly. But it can backfire if the celebrity becomes involved in a scandal, and audiences are increasingly sceptical when endorsements seem insincere.

Useful language:stand outbackfirescepticalinsincere

Companies often have to adapt their ads to local values, humour and taboos. An ad that works in one country might seem rude or confusing in another. For example, some cultures respond better to ads focused on family and community, while others prefer messages about individual success.

Useful language:local valuestaboosindividual success

Advertising techniques can promote public health — like anti-smoking or road safety campaigns — and raise awareness of issues such as climate change or mental health. Charities use emotional storytelling to encourage donations. Because advertising is so persuasive, using it for these causes can genuinely change behaviour.

Useful language:raise awarenessencourage donationsgenuinely change behaviour