Business English Lesson: Advertising

In this lesson, students learn adjectives relevant to advertising, identify jingles and slogans, and work to develop an advertising campaign.

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 13.1. Warm-up Questions 

1. Have you ever bought something after seeing an advertisement?

2. What types of products are advertised the most in your country?

3. Are there any products that shouldn’t be advertised? Why?

13.2. Vocabulary

Read the following adjectives. Then, look at the products listed below. Which adjectives would be most important in an advertisement for each product. Why?

Simple
Informative
Amusing
Unique
Complex
Controversial
Devastating
Compelling
Sexy
Entertaining
Serious
Attractive
Clever
Glamorous
Sensational
Memorable
Dramatic
Light-hearted

1. Cell Phone: _____________________________________________________________________

2. Car: _____________________________________________________________________________

3. Laptop Computer: _____________________________________________________________

4. Bank: ___________________________________________________________________________

5. Health Club: ____________________________________________________________________

6. Restaurant: _____________________________________________________________________

7. Beer: _____________________________________________________________________________

8. Airline: __________________________________________________________________________

9. Medicine: ________________________________________________________________________

10. Hotel: _____________________________________________________________________________

13.3a: Activity: Jingles and Slogans 

Preparation Question: What is the difference between a jingle and a slogan?

________________________________________________________________________________________

Think of 5 jingles or slogans that are popular in your country. See how long it takes your classmates to guess the product connected to the slogan or jingle.

 ____________________________________________________________________________________

 ____________________________________________________________________________________

 ____________________________________________________________________________________

 ____________________________________________________________________________________

 ____________________________________________________________________________________

13.3b. Discussion

In advertising, AIDA stands for: Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. Explain how these concepts are important when creating an ad campaign.

13.3c. Discussion

What are the most popular products in your country? Do you think they are popular due to advertising?

13.4a. Activity: Putting Together an Advertising Campaign 

The following is a list of the steps most agencies follow when they devise a campaign. Put the list into the correct order. Use the clues below to help you.

________-Evaluate Sales

________-Market Research (Who is your target customer?)

________-Design/Create (Slogan/Jingle/Icon/Logo)

________-Set Sales Goals

________-Set Budget

________-Place the Ad (Promote)

________-Decide on the Ad venue (Television, Newspaper, Magazine, Radio)

13.4b. Create an Advertising Campaign

Choose a product that you would like to promote. As a group or individually, create a campaign. For each step, consider the following questions.

Product-________________________________________________________

Step 1- ______________________________________
Target customer (age, social class, etc.)
Where will you advertise (area in the city)

Step 2-______________________________________
Will you use television, newspapers, magazines, radio, or the internet?

Step 3-______________________________________
How much will you spend on: radio ads, television ads, actors, singers, artists, staff, magazine ads, fliers, billboards, or coupons?

Step 4-_____________________________________
What are your anticipated sales? What do you expect the total cost to be?

Step 5-_____________________________________
What type of logo or icon will you create? What will your slogan be? How will you accomplish this?

Step 6-____________________________________
Where or with whom will you place the ad?

Step 7-____________________________________
How many coupons will you distribute? What type of coupons will you create (“buy one, get one free”, discounted prices, etc.)