The cue card
Describe an advertisement that you remember well.
You should say:
- what was advertised
- where you saw or heard it
- what it showed or said
and explain why you remember it.
You have one minute to make notes, then speak for one to two minutes.
Band 8–9 sample answer
Written by Abroadway as a model of natural, high-band speaking (not an official IELTS sample).
Oddly enough, the advert that has stayed with me longest wasn't some big-budget television commercial but a short radio advert for a tiny family bakery. I heard it about three years ago, when I was staying with my uncle in Toronto for a couple of months.
My uncle drives a taxi, and at weekends I sometimes rode along with him, so I spent hours listening to a local radio station. Most of the adverts were the usual noisy ones for car dealerships and mattress sales, all shouting about discounts, and I tuned them out almost immediately. This one was completely different.
It opened with the sound of an old woman humming in a kitchen, along with the clatter of baking trays. Then, in a heavily accented voice, she explained that she had come to Canada from Portugal forty years earlier and had been baking the same bread every morning since. She said, and I still remember the line, 'I can't promise you the cheapest bread in the city, but I can promise you I was awake at four o'clock to make it.' At the end, a couple of children, presumably her grandchildren, giggled and shouted out the address. That was it: no jingle, no special offer, no slogan.
I think I remember it for several reasons. First of all, it felt sincere, which is rare in advertising; rather than trying to persuade me, it simply told a story. It also reminded me of my own grandmother in our village near Rajshahi, who gets up in the early hours to make pitha before Eid, so it touched something personal. And finally, it actually worked on me. One Saturday I persuaded my uncle to drive across town to find the place, and the bread was every bit as good as she'd promised.
Useful phrases from this answer
- big-budget
- made with a lot of money
- tuned them out
- stopped listening or paying attention to them
- touched something personal
- affected me emotionally because it connected to my own life
- every bit as good as
- just as good as, in every way
- the sheer volume
- the very large amount of something
- grabs attention
- makes people notice something immediately
- blurs the line between
- makes it hard to see the difference between two things
Part 3 follow-up questions and answers
Why are there so many advertisements nowadays?
Mainly because the number of places where adverts can appear has exploded. In the past, companies were limited to newspapers, billboards, radio and television, but now every website, app, video and social media feed is potential advertising space. Many online services are free precisely because they're funded by adverts, so in a sense we pay for them with our attention. Competition has also intensified; with so many brands selling similar products, businesses feel they have to keep reminding consumers that they exist. And because digital advertising can be aimed at very specific groups, it's become affordable even for small businesses, which adds further to the sheer volume.
Are celebrities a good choice for advertising products?
It depends on the product and the celebrity. A famous face certainly grabs attention, and when there's a natural link, such as a cricketer promoting sports shoes, it can feel credible and persuasive. In Bangladesh, adverts featuring well-known actors and sportspeople are everywhere, and they clearly help brands stand out. However, I'd argue it can be risky. If the celebrity becomes involved in a scandal, the brand's reputation can suffer overnight. Audiences are also becoming more sceptical; most people know that stars are paid generously and may never actually use the product. In some cases, ordinary customers sharing genuine experiences can be far more convincing.
Do advertisements influence children more than adults?
Generally, yes, because young children haven't yet developed the critical thinking needed to recognise persuasion. A small child may not even grasp that an advert is trying to sell something; they simply see a cartoon character enjoying a snack and want the same experience. Adverts aimed at children also cleverly exploit their desire to fit in, suggesting that everyone at school already has a particular toy. That said, I wouldn't assume adults are immune. We're influenced in subtler ways, through aspirational lifestyles and brand image, and perhaps we're even more vulnerable precisely because we think we're too sensible to be manipulated.
Should advertising aimed at children be banned?
I wouldn't support a complete ban, but I do think there should be strict limits. Advertising unhealthy snacks or sugary drinks during children's programmes, for instance, seems hard to justify, given how concerned many parents are about their children's diets. Similarly, games that push children to make in-app purchases strike me as quite manipulative. On the other hand, a total ban would be difficult to enforce, especially online, and it might also block useful messages, such as campaigns encouraging children to wash their hands or read more. So I'd favour targeted regulation, combined with teaching children at school how advertising works, so they can recognise it for themselves.
How is advertising on social media different from advertising on television?
The biggest difference is targeting. A television advert is broadcast to everyone watching, whereas social media adverts are tailored to individuals based on their age, location, interests and even recent searches, so two people scrolling side by side may see completely different adverts. Social media advertising is also far less obvious; sponsored posts by influencers can look almost identical to ordinary content, which blurs the line between recommendation and promotion. Television adverts, by contrast, are clearly separated from the programme. Another key difference is interaction: people can comment, share or buy instantly online, so a successful social media campaign can spread far beyond its original audience.
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