Describe an Advertisement That You Don’t Like - IELTS Cue Card

Everybody comes across advertisements while watching TV, listening to the radio or using the internet. Some commercial advertisements are excellent, while others make us less keen to promote those products or services. Today, I will discuss one of the advertisements I don’t like.

I saw this advertisement long ago. It is a product of the renowned company Ponds. Earlier, the product name was “ Fair and Lovely;” however, they changed it to “ Glow and Lovely.”

It is about a face cream. People protested against it because it promoted fake standards of beauty and hurt people's sentiments by claiming that it could change the shade of skin tone.

I saw it on television for the first time when I was young. It sounded weird, as the advertisement played with the girls' emotions by implying that they would look fair and society would accept them. This reminded me of a time when I was teased for my skin colour and it made me feel really sad after knowing the harmful effects of such advertisements.

I didn’t like the advertisement as many girls bought the product to look fair and be accepted by society. They were not accepting their natural skin colour and that’s why I didn’t like the advertisement. The ad seemed to promote the idea that fair skin is superior, which is not only untrue but also harmful to society's perception of beauty.

The advertisement promotes the idea of perfect beauty which, of course, is a myth. This not only affects the self-esteem of young girls but also perpetuates harmful beauty standards in society, which is why I strongly dislike this advertisement.

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I saw an advertisement recently that bothered me, and a few days back, I saw that commercial advertisement again on YouTube while watching a video. It was about weight gain powder.

A few weeks ago, while watching a YouTube video, I saw a weight gain advertisement run during a commercial break. The ad promoted a weight gain powder and promised terrific results in a short amount of time.

It starts by showing a girl and boy with lean bodies and people making fun of them.Then, they introduce weight gain powder, which makes them gain weight and from their lean bodies, they get a healthy body within a short period.

The advertisement was aggressively published on several social media platforms and websites, even though I initially watched the ad on TV. I remember seeing it pop up on my Facebook feed and it was hard to ignore. The company seemed to be targeting young people, which made me even more concerned about the product's potential harm.

The advertisement seemed manipulative, which is harmful and may cause body image issues, leading to a problematic relationship between food and weight. The advertisement appeared more like a fraud than a reliable source of weight gain because it had no verified facts. Using before-and-after images and the promise of quick results was a ploy to manipulate viewers into buying the product.

I strongly disagree with the weight gain powder advertisement and cannot support it because of its unrealistic claims, lack of credibility and emotional manipulation. Such advertisements should be regulated more strictly to protect consumers from false claims and manipulative tactics.

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Everyone likes watching IPL matches and I am no different, especially for the Rajasthan Royals team. So, while watching a game on TV, I saw a commercial advertisement for Pan masala, a mouth freshener.

I saw this while watching IPL matches on TV when the commercial break ran and it also runs if you watch something online.

It is about pan masala, a mouth freshener endorsed by the biggest celebrities in India. Even after so much awareness has been spread that it is harmful to consume such products, people continue to consume them. However, the Indian government cannot ban this because it accounts for 28% of the GDP.

I have seen this advertisement a lot recently. It is one of the IPL sponsors, so they run this commercial ad. However, this advertisement is not appropriate, is harmful to health and can cause various deadly diseases.

I didn’t like the advertisement because it mentioned that it can lead to tumours of the lungs, stomach, liver, skin and testicles. I didn’t like it because celebrities promote pan masala ads, making people think it is cool to consume it.

I don’t like this advertisement because it creates the false impression that consuming such a hazardous product is cool.

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1. Do customers usually buy things after watching advertisements?

Yes, many customers buy the products after seeing an advertisement. A lot of the advertising produced these days is quite creative and instructional. A commercial can appeal to people of all ages, from older adults to small children.

2. What advantages do TV commercials provide?

TV commercials offer several advantages for consumers like me, such as raising awareness of valuable products and their features, offering discounts and offers on certain products and so on.

3. Are there any inappropriate commercials on display, such as ones that promote condoms?

Condom marketing is appropriate, in my opinion. It's an essential step in sex education. Instead, unsuitable commercials include those promoting specific drinks, such as Pepsi and Coke, which contain carbohydrates and other harmful substances.

4. Why does the government permit these kinds of advertisements?

The government permits these advertisements because they spend a lot of money and help boost the country's economy.

5. Why do some people think advertising is offensive?

Exploiting sensitive issues for the sole purpose of selling a product is offensive. Advertisements promoting fair skin tones, weight gain products and weight loss products can adversely affect people's minds and they often find such advertisements offensive.

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To conclude, the ultimate goal of advertisements is to pique our interest, arouse desire and inspire action. However, not all advertisements are effective. The cue card section enables test-takers to express their views methodically and thoroughly while articulating their opinions critically and eloquently.

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