Cue Card Sample

IELTS Cue Card # 117 - Describe an advertisement you like

Details: Written by IELTS Mentor

IELTS Speaking Part 2: IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card.

Describe an advertisement you like.

You should say:

what type of advertisement it is
what product or service it advertises
where and when you first saw it

and explain why you like it and think that this advertisement is effective.

Model Answer 1:

Most of the time, I think that advertisements are just a waste of time because they don’t really do any good for the general public. But, then, suddenly we come across an advertisement, which forces us to think otherwise, just as I was also forced to think like that about a couple of years ago.

It is an advertisement about “tea” – drinking tea that is. By the way, I would say that it was one of the best advertisements I had ever seen in a long, long time, as it was made in a very clear manner to deliver a clear message in the form of having some light jokes and conversation.

I saw this advertisement on television for the first time about a year ago or so. In the advertisement, a stage is perfectly set for an enjoyable evening for 4 people, including two wives and two husbands. They were all busy talking and laughing with each other while enjoying some snacks at the same time. Then, it was time for some hot tea in order to conclude the evening time to get together for the day. So, anyway, when everybody was busy pouring sugar into their cup full of tea while zooming in on the brand name of the tea, they noticed that one of the wives was not taking any sugar. When asked, why the lady was not taking any sugar, she smilingly answered that she always likes to keep her sugar and husband under control. After that joke, everybody burst out in laughter. And, with that laughter, the advertisement was concluded.

Anyway, I really like the advertisement and find it effective, mainly because it is trying to deliver a very clear message to its audience about controlling their sugar consumption also in order to check their diabetes while enjoying their tasty tea as much as they can. I like the advertisement also because it revealed a very sweet but age-old rivalry between a husband and wife as to "who gets to control who" in a romantic relationship.

Sample Answer 2:
Every day we watch several advertisements on TV and computers whether we like to watch them or not. And some of these adverts are simply dull, some are average while a few of them are very interesting and creative. One such advertisement that I really liked was about the unmatched contributions of mothers to their children, and I really liked the theme of this advertisement. I watched it a few months ago.

The advertisement was broadcast for "Mother's Day" and it was not for promoting any product or service. The ministry of child and mother care of the health department was the sponsor of this advert, and I saw it 3-4 days before last Mother's Day.

This advert was a very creative one, and it was not like most other ads that publicise or advertise their products or boast about their service. Rather it was dedicated to the mothers, and it reminded us of a fact that we all know. It outlined that the toughest job in the world is the job of a mother. Mothers do everything humanly possible to offer the best to their infants. They sacrifice their own happiness and time to properly take care of the kids. What they do is not comparable to anything or anyone in the world. Without their love, our survival would have been impossible.

I saw this advert in the (...say a TV channel name..) channel. This was a creative ad that effectively delivered the message it intended to, which was to remind us of our mother's importance and love in our life. It showed some successful people, and before that, it showed how mothers were taking care and inspiring their kids to do good in life. It was an advertisement dedicated to all mothers in the world.

Sample Answer 3:
We see several types of advertisements on TV, billboards, on the Internet, social networking sites, mobile applications, and mobile games on a regular basis. Many of them are very banal, full of marketing speech and are kind of boring while others are average and their primary focus is to express the positive sides of a product to increase their sales. Finally, quite a few of them are creative, informative, humorous, fascinating and memorable.

I usually do not like to watch advertisements while watching a movie or a TV programme as they distract me from the excitement of the movie or the show. In fact, lengthier commercial breaks are quite annoying to me. I personally think that the best way of advertising for companies or brands is using billboards, which make people remember the brand name.

One of the best advertisements that I have ever seen and still like was a billboard advertisement on a highway in the United Arab Emirates. One day while passing the main road, a big billboard caught my eyes. It was designed to look like the filtration zone of a cigarette which is commonly known as the cigarette butt. The large billboard was quite different in shape and it presented the message "Stop smoking even Marlboro" quite visibly.

I stole a glance at the billboard and thought about the message it conveyed. I actually did not think much and forgot about it. After an hour or so, I found myself in front of a beach with a packet of Marlboro cigarettes in my pocket. While I was lighting a cigarette, I was wondering why I bought a packet of Marlboro? It is usually not my brand! To my surprise, I realised that the advertisement that I saw on the road had an immense effect on my psychology unconsciously. I was convinced that the billboard had forced me to buy that brand unconsciously. I think it was the first time I realised how advertisements can target people's unconscious minds.

Technically speaking this is the moment I realised that the best way to influence people’s buying behaviour is to use their unconscious mind instead of trying to deliver marketing speeches. When I thought more to analyse the billboard advertising and its effect on me, I realised that the advertiser tried to use reverse advertising techniques by delivering the message that Marlboro is less dangerous and smokers who wish to quit smoking should try this. Possibly all smokers - from light smokers to heavy ones wish for a day without smoking though many of them do not try hard. Then the billboard advertisement was pretending as if they were broadcasting an important public safety message. Moreover, they used a fascinating design on the billboard that would actually grab anyone's attention. As you can see, they were quite successful as I still remember this advert very vividly and I like this advertisement due to the creative thinking of the maker of this advertisement.

[ Written by - Pendar Fazel ]

Cue Card Sample

IELTS Cue Card # 117 - Describe an advertisement you like

Describe an advertisement you like.

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