Describe an advertisement you remember well
You should say:
- Where you saw it;
- When you saw it;
- What it was about;
- Why you remember it well.
Sample Answer 1
The first advertisement that comes to mind is an ad that the famous company, Apple, debuted for its Home app. The app can let you control any smart home device as long as it’s compatible with an iPhone. Simply speaking, it’s an app that makes life a breeze.
If memory serves correctly, several months ago, I was watching a TV show at home. During a commercial break, I noticed this ad. It starts with the iPhone’s typical ringtone, and then the AI host Siri greets the hostess by saying “good morning” and opens the curtain for her automatically. At that moment, the ad really caught my eye. The girl then controls her home with Siri. She dims the light with her cell phone and adjusts the temperature on the thermostat. She even controls lots of home devices after she leaves the house.
It was only a one-minute commercial, but it perfectly introduced Apple’s new app and their smart home devices. You know, those kinds of things are what I expect to have in reality. I’d love to have a smart home so that all the appliances, lights, and other household items can be remotely controlled by my smartphone. For example, when I’m about to come back home, I could remotely turn on the lights and the air conditioner. It’s cool just to think about it. So the ad really left a mark on me and in the future, I definitely hope I can have a smart home like the one in the commercial.
Vocab Highlights
come to mind: (of a thought or idea) occur to someone
make life a breeze: If something is “a breeze” it is easy or enjoyable or both. If some test is a breeze, that means that the questions were all easy. Make life a breeze = Make life effortless and enjoyable.
if my memory serves me (well/right/correctly): used for saying that you think you have remembered something correctly
catch somebody’s eyes: to get someone’s attention, especially by looking at them
commercial /kəˈmɜːʃl/ (n): an advertisement on television, on the radio or on a website
leave your/its mark on someone/something (idiom): to have an effect that changes someone or something, usually in a bad way
Sample Answer 2
Alright I am going to talk about a memorable ad that I remember well, although it was aired quite a while ago. The advertisement is about Comfort, a brand of fabric softener made by a company called Unilever.
Honestly, I am not entirely sure when I first saw this advertisement. If I’m not mistaken, it was a couple of years ago when TV commercials were in their prime. The advertisement is so memorable that sometimes I still look it up on YouTube to show my students what a good ad looks like.
The most interesting thing about this ad is its meaningful message. While other commercials at the time tended to be short and focused on humor to attract customers, Unilever paid attention to the content and built a story around Lily, a caring housewife, and Andy, a famous rock star. Despite his fame and success, Andy never forgets his family, because deep down he always feels his partner’s love just from the smell of Comfort’s long-lasting freshness. The company even created a series of ads, instead of just one, to deliver the message better. I think this was a costly but effective strategy, as Comfort soon became a household name after this campaign.
IELTS Speaking Part 3
1. Why do some people hate advertisements?
Well, there’re probably a few reasons, but I think the main one is because there are just too many ads. Imagine how annoying it is when you get interrupted and have to endure 15 minutes of advertisements while trying to watch your favorite TV show? Also, many storylines of movies are affected by advertising and must include the products of movie sponsors, which often makes the plot unnatural and illogical.
2. Do people usually buy things after seeing them advertised?
Yea, I believe so. If not, companies would stop spending millions of dollars on advertising. Advertisements usually exaggerate products’ effectiveness, and therefore most ads tend to have a strong influence on the purchasing decisions of customers. Companies often include the hottest, irresistible deals and promotions in their ads, as can be seen in many electronic device advertisements.
3. Are people more influenced by TV advertisements or internet advertisements?
I guess it depends. Young people spend more time on the internet, so they might be more influenced by ads on YouTube or pop-up commercials on many websites. However, TV commercials have a bit of an edge when it comes to older audiences. Also, TV advertisements cannot be skipped like YouTube commercials, which is also a plus.