First of all, watch the video through, so that you can get the gist of what the conversation is about.
Now watch the video more carefully, paying attention to the following:
- Making suggestions: Let’s start again; What about…?
- Use of hedging to introduce our opinions so as not to sound so dogmatic: I guess, I suppose
- Use of vague language: kind of; or something
- Use of tag questions asking for confirmation: doesn’t it
- Use of actually for emphasizing the information you are about to give
- Use of actually for introducing a bit of surprising information
- Use of for instance and for example to give examples
- Use of fillers to gain thinking time: er, erm; you know; Well
- Use of so as a linking word
Now it's over to you. If possible, get together with a friend or relative and discuss product placement in TV series, films, press conferences or any other event. How do you feel about this advertising strategy? How ethical is it for you? Should any restrictions be implemented?
In you conversation, don't forget to use some of the features of spoken English we have revised in this post.
What I wonder is if you both think it is ethical in different movies or maybe different events or anything to place products so people see it indirectly…
Like subliminal… messaging?
Let’s start again.
What I wonder, and I would like both of your opinions regarding this, is if you think it’s ethical for them to place products in different movies or different events in order to… what’s the word?
Give a subliminal message.
I guess it’s kind of manipulative in some ways, especially in children’s films or films which...
It depends on the product, doesn’t it?
Of course.
Ah, but actually that’s an interesting point for children’s films. What about…?
Yeah.
I’ve seen a film, for instance, called Over the Hedge, and it’s all these little animals, er, who, they’re all, erm, hibernating animals and they collect all their nuts and, erm, goodies and food for the winter etcetera, until a fox comes along from the city and tells them about garbage cans and how amazing they are. And, er, and, then he makes them all work for him, because he’s actually working for a big bear, who’s er a rubbish junkie and has, you know, a really insatiable appetite. And so he has these, this sweat shop of little animals working, working for him, emptying rubbish bins.
But do they show products?
Yes! And the products are everywhere, you empty... It’s kind of a satire on suburban consumerist society so I suppose that’s negative in a sense, but there’s, you know, it doesn’t matter, they say that whatever publicity a film gives a product, it’s, the publicity is still, the point of it.
Any publicity is good publicity, [Yep.] that’s interesting, that’s what they say.
So it reminds me of, for example, Back to the Future, I know that we’ve seen that film at least a hundred times…
Yeah.
And always they have the product of Pepsi.
Yeah, Pepsi.
Well Pepsi’s a big one, and Coca-Cola, absolutely. But also cereals, I remember they’re always having breakfast and there’s always a big box, you know, a bigger box than I’ve ever gotten of life cereals or something.
Yeah, well it’s just like life. It’s a big box.
