English Vocabulary (Describing Pictures): Lesson 4-How to Describe an Advert With Accuracy

How to Describe an Advert

“An idea can turn to dust or magic, depending on the talent that rubs against it.”

~Bill Bernbach, Advertising Creative Director

The advertising world is so fascinating. Many companies will go to great lengths to woo customers and boost sales.

In this fourth lesson of our ‘Describing Pictures‘ series, you will learn how to describe an advert with accuracy, delving deep into the mysteries of advertisement or ‘commercial seduction’.

As usual, let’s start with a few definitions

An ‘advertisement’ is a public notice whose aim is to persuade people to buy a product or service. It can be a picture, song, short film or a piece of text. Synonyms: ‘Ad‘, ‘Advert‘, ‘Commercial’.

Describe an Advert (STEP 1): Different Types of Advertisements

Adverts that appear on a print medium:

Newspaper
Magazine
Billboard
Hoarding
Poster
Portrait
Direct mail
Flyers or leaflets
Brochures
Booklets
Pamphlets
Classified Ads
Catalogues
Company merchandise
Business cards
In-store
Food
Fashion

Adverts that appear on an electronic medium

Radio
Broadcast
Jingle
Video
Television
Infomercial
Film
Movie trailer

Adverts that appear on a digital medium

Online or broadcast
Social media
Influencer Advertising
Web banner
Link
Mobile
Email marketing
Native
Sponsored content
Affiliate marketing
Pay Per Click
Google Display
YouTube

Other

Event sponsorship
Endorsement
Testimonial
Surrogate
Propaganda
Covert
Product placement or Embedded marketing
Word-of-mouth
Neon sign
Electric sign

Describe an Advert (Different Types of Adverts_Learn English With Africa_November

Describe an Advert (STEP 2 ): What do you see?

Picture adverts’ descriptions are very similar to those of photographs, paintings and drawings.

You need to follow three basic steps when you undertake your task: Identification, Description and Interpretation

a) Identification of the Advert

Answer the 6 WH- questions: WHAT, WHO, WHEN, WHERE, WHY and HOW.

WHAT: A newspaper ad? A flyer? A poster? An online ad? What product or service is being advertised? A shampoo? A perfume? A school? A restaurant? A hotel?

WHO: Are there any people featuring in the advert? Who are they? Celebrities? Movie stars? Sports personalities? Models? Unknown people? How old can they be? Where are they from? Who is responsible for issuing the advertisement? An advertising agency? An Advertising man? A company? A newspaper? A fashion brand? A famous restaurant? An online store? Who is the target audience? Housewives? Working-class men? Students? Managers?

WHEN: Can you tell when the ad was produced? Is there any date? Can you tell the time of the day or year?

WHERE: Where was the advert published? In a newspaper? In a magazine? Online? On Facebook, Twitter or Instagram? What is the setting like? Are the people indoors or outdoors? Are they in a place or building you can recognise?

WHY: What is the purpose of the advertisement? To promote a service or a product? To raise awareness about a specific subject? To announce a special type of event?

HOW: How was the advert done? What were the techniques that were used? Glossy or rough paper? Image only? Text only?

Sample Description

McDonald's Advert_Students wanted_No Experience Needed_Describe an Advert — Advertising Poster, McMistakes 2, TBWA Belgium, 2018 (Image from adsoftheworld.com)

Description:

This is an ingenious outdoor advertisement called McMistakes and it was created by TBWA Belgium, an advertising agency. The Belgian McDonald’s fast food company commissioned the ad campaign in 2018, which consisted of a series of posters that advertised job vacancies for inexperienced students for its many restaurants. The ‘mistake’, a bunch of French fries in a McFlurry cup that is usually meant for ice cream, dominates the advert. The simple and straightforward tagline: “Students wanted. No experience needed.” reinforces the message of the advertisement.

Your Turn: Look for an advert online or in traditional sources such as newspapers or magazines. Describe it by answering the 6-WH questions where they apply.

b) Thorough Description of the Advert

Adverts are so rich in meaning and hidden messages. It is our pleasure to hunt for them.

Look for different signs in the advert and they will provide you with the real purpose of the ad.

Here we go!

Header or Headline: What does it say? What is its colour and font? Is it in relation to the ad?
Tagline: Is there any catchy phrase or slogan? Is it recurring? How is it presented?
Pictures: Where are they featured in the advert? Are they on the left or the right? Do they show a person, an animal or a group of people? Do the people in the picture represent a certain population? What is the size of the picture in comparison to the rest of the advert?
Text: What is the amount of text? Little or a lot? Enough? What about the font that has been used? Is it effective, bold, colourful, etc? What words are emphasised or played down?
Size: What types of advert are you dealing with? Life-size, miniature, mural, medium, large, etc?
Format: Portrait or landscape?
General composition and layout: Study the following areas: The focal point, the top, the bottom, the left, the right, the top left-hand corner, the top right-hand corner, the bottom left-hand corner, the bottom right-hand corner, the foreground, the background, the middle, etc.
Appearance: Do you get a general sense of balance, symmetry, discordance or asymmetry?
Colours: What are the colours that have been used? Do they stand out? Adjectives to use: Natural, artificial, warm, cool, neutral, light, dark, sombre, radiant, brilliant, bright, intense, blazing, twinkling, scintillating, shimmering, lively, dull, lacklustre, lifeless, insipid, flat, depressing, pale, harmonious, discordant, garish, mixed, blended, broken, ostentatious, loud, kitschy, drab, etc.
Mood or atmosphere: Uplifting or depressing messages can be sent through a careful use of colours or text. You can use the following Adjectives to describe the mood of an ad: Lively, cheerful, merry, perky, sparkly, joyful, blissful, bright, humorous, comical, animated, spirited, playful, whimsical, dark, sad, sombre, depressing, gloomy, chilling, frightening, mysterious, disturbing, unsettling, peaceful, tranquil, calming, soothing, optimistic, pessimistic, lethargic, melancholy, angry, fearsome, ominous, ironical, satirical, etc.
Motivation: What is the aim of the advert? To promote a product? To convince us to change our behaviour? To seduce us to buy a service?

Sample Detailed Description

Describe an Advert (How to Describe an Advert_Learn English With Africa_November 2019) — Pen Advertisement, #HappyWomensDay, BIC, 2015

This is a controversial online advertisement that was posted by the South African pen manufacturer, BIC, on its Facebook page on Sunday August 9th, 2015. It shows a beautiful woman wearing a manly suit and looking straight at the camera with a wide smile. The slogan reads: Look like a girl|Act like a lady|Think like a man|Work like a boss. The advert targets women and aims to reinforce BIC’s brand image as a champion for gender rights. The ad campaign failed because it was deemed sexist.

The photograph of what seems to be a successful ‘boss lady’ dominates the right side of the advert. The woman is confident as her direct gaze and body posture suggest. She is the centre of attention and this is emphasised by the blurred background and yellow frame at the bottom. The company’s logo in the bottom right-hand corner cannot be overlooked. We immediately associate the woman’s achievements to the company. The message is very simple: “If you use our pens, you will be as prosperous and happy as this youthful lady.”

The font in the tagline replicates the woman’s slender and healthy features. The text is elegant and easy on the eye. This is a call-to-action slogan as evidenced by the verbs in the Imperative Form: “Look, act, think, work.” Women are exhorted to look innocent ‘like a girl’. Besides, they have to behave in a feminine and refined way ‘like a lady.’ However, they are asked to have masculine qualities and think ‘like a man’, at the same time retaining their domination and power when they ‘work like a boss.’

Your Turn: Find an advert that you can describe in detail. Focus on important parts only.

c) Interpretation of the Advert

This is where you give your personal opinion regarding the advert. Is it successful? Is it a total failure?

You can use the following expressions:

The advert succeeds in…
The ad manages to convince the target audience.
The advertisement is convincing…
The ad is effective because…
This is a clever advert…
This ad is original and it appeals to…
The advertisement manages to grab our attention.
The ad is simple and memorable.
The advert is sexist, racist…
The advert highlights…
We cannot fail to notice…
The slogan catches our attention…
The tagline is effective since…
The advert grabs our attention…
The advert fails to convince us …
The ad’s arguments are weak…
The advert promotes violence/racism/sexism/…
The ad is too sensual for…
The picture in the ad does not correspond to the product or service that is being sold.
The advertisement is overly graphic.
The ad offends a certain group of people (religious, gender, racial, etc).
The advertisement is offensive.
The ad campaign is unsuccessful.
The advertising agency could have done better.

Sample Description

(Describe an Advert) Are You Man Enough to be a Nurse_Advertising Poster_Describe an Advert

This is a popular American advertising poster created by the Oregon Centre for Nursing in 2002. It aimed at encouraging men to join the profession of nursing which generally reserved for women. The advertisement portrays a group of tall and well-built male nurses who have managed to retain their masculine physical features and interests despite working in a feminine environment.

Masculinity is emphasised in this advert as especially seen in the headline: ARE YOU MAN ENOUGH…TO BE A NURSE? The font is bold and thick and it reinforces the idea of strength and courage. The colours of the text, red and black, connote power and vitality. The props that the men carry reveal their manly hobbies: surfing, scuba diving, rock climbing, etc. This is supported by the small text at the bottom: these men are not ‘sissies’. For example, David works in Critical Care but he loves playing the guitar. Mark works in the emergency room but he is into rock climbing.

The men stand against a red background that highlights their manful, straight and confident postures. Their gazes are direct, revealing assurance and certainty. They also seem to love their job because most of them are smiling and have relaxed faces. ‘Nursing’, contrary to its reputation, does not seem to be a stressful job. On the contrary, it is depicted positively as a career with ‘unlimited opportunities’ that appeals to men’s need to ‘challenge’ themselves both physically and intellectually.

I think that the advert is successful because it immediately grabs our attention but it is overly optimistic in painting a too bright picture of what can be a demanding and exhausting profession . The general atmosphere is positive and full of life as the red colour suggests. The men might be working with sick people but they look healthy and happy. The advert does not dwell on the negative aspects of nursing in order to seduce future recruits. The truth is that nurses, whatever their gender, work in shifts and have long hours, which barely leaves enough time for hobbies. Working in the emergency room can be quite nerve-wrecking too. Overall, the advert manages to render this noble profession attractive and puts it in a good light.

Your Turn: What do you think of the advert below?