Advertising
Sale!
Lead-in questions:
-
In what ways might the language used in advertisements help persuade members of the target audience to buy the product advertised?
-
What do you think of TV shopping?
-
Have ever used the internet for shopping?
-
Misleading advertisements should be banned. Discuss this statement and justify your reasons.
Task 1
Read the following text carefully. Match the paragraphs and their first sentences.
(1), but before you shop ‘til you drop beware of common retail tricks of the trade. The vast majority of advertisers are truthful and honest, but here are few tips to make sure your shopping spree is not spoilt by the few that are not:
- (2). Beware of vague price comparisons; 50% cheaper may be comparing the price to much higher prices that have applied at some point in the past, not necessarily in recent weeks
- (3); the headline package price may sound very attractive but have you checked there are no hidden costs that have to be paid so that you can take advantage of the deal?
- (4), look out for those all important words “while stocks last” or “very limited stock” to avoid disappointment
- (5) and taking advantage of cheap flight offers beware of hidden charges. Be clear of the total cost of your ticket by asking what additional fees such as taxes and transaction charges may be added on top of the headline price
- (6) but bear in mind that the advertising codes state that claims should not say that you can lose precise amounts of weight within a stated period or that that weight or fat can be lost from a specific part of the body. If they do, read these ads with caution and a good dose of salt!
- (7) Remember you can register with the telephone, mail, email and fax preference services which means that companies cannot, by law, target you with their commercial, unsolicited messages.
Source: www.asa.org.uk
Task 2
Fill in the missing words in the following table: