Talking point: Advertising

This week's talking point revolves around the topic of advertising. Before getting together with the members of your conversation group, go over the questions below and think about the answers so that ideas can flow more easily and you can sort out some vocabulary problems before the discussion.

• Do you have a positive / negative attitude to advertising? 
• Describe an ad that you remember or that had an impact on you. 
• Why are some people more aware of brands than others? 
• Are you brand-aware? 
• Have you ever bought anything because you had seen an ad? 
• We live in “the age of more”. Is it good or bad? What are its advantages and disadvantages? 
• Is publicity a necessary evil?
• “Advertising is the greatest art form of the XXIst century.” Do you agree? 
• Which of advertising methods is the least / most effective? Which one do you prefer? A sandwhich man / spam / a billboards / leaftlets / TV commercials / magazine ads / product placement
• Do you think that the advertising practices below are acceptable?

         Using children in ads
         Using nudity in ads
         Promoting alcohol on TV/cinemas
         Comparing your products to your competitors’ products

To gain further insight into the topic you can read Stuart Elliott's article for The New York Times In a World of Ads, Teaching the Young How to Read Them.

You can also drop by Admongo.gov, an official US site where you can explore, discover, and learn all about advertising.