Hibiscus Teach · Vids · Mad Men
Sell the Feeling, Not the Product
Distinguish product features from emotional promises and build a short, ethical pitch.
Created by Denis M., British English teacher.
Content note: Adult historical drama: tobacco advertising, manipulation and dated workplace attitudes. Examine the cigarette pitch critically; practise with harmless products only.
Warm-up: Choose an ordinary object. What can it do: and what might someone hope it will make them feel?
Learn the words, watch, then answer the quiz. Practise the phrases and speaking prompts. On your own, replay only what you need; with a tutor, develop each response together.
Vocabulary helps you discuss the scene; not every entry is spoken in the clip.
Don needs a new advertising approach for a cigarette brand. First watch: Does the proposed message describe a unique feature? Choose one answer per question. The last two questions practise original language. Interactive scoring needs JavaScript. Use the answer key to check your choices. “If you can't make those health claims, neither can your competitors.” Clip 1, quotation excerpt Neither + auxiliary + subject extends the negative predicate to another subject. Can recovers make those health claims; the comparison concerns the same restriction, rather than competitors’ general ability to advertise. Original phrases to practise, not programme quotations. The feature is ordinary; the way we present it makes it stand out. That may be true, but it could still give a misleading impression. Develop your answer with a reason or example. On your own, answer aloud before opening a model. The message gives people one simple association to remember. A shared feature can appear distinctive when one brand claims it prominently, although that does not make the product different. Calling a notebook compact is useful if its size is clear. Calling it the secret to success suggests an effect the product cannot guarantee. I would connect the promise to a real, checkable benefit. Seller: This bottle makes busy days easier because its lid opens with one hand. Customer: Is that feature unique? Seller: Not unique, but it is useful. Let me explain the leak-proof seal rather than claim that no other bottle compares. Don presents an idea for Kodak’s slide projector. First watch: What does he ask the audience to remember rather than measure? Choose one answer per question. The last two questions practise original language. Interactive scoring needs JavaScript. Use the answer key to check your choices. “It lets us travel the way a child travels” Clip 2, quotation excerpt The way a child travels compares manner. As a child does can express that same comparison; as children would instead present childhood as a role or life stage for us. Original phrases to practise, not programme quotations. This is not just about what it does; it is about how it makes people feel. The story will resonate more if we connect it to a real experience. Develop your answer with a reason or example. On your own, answer aloud before opening a model. The personal story is more memorable for me because the images give the audience something familiar to connect with. The product then becomes a way of returning to those memories. Yes, provided the emotion is connected to a real use and the claims do not promise an outcome the product cannot deliver. The story should help people understand the benefit, not hide important limitations. When I moved into a small room, one warm lamp made the desk feel like a place of my own. This lamp has an adjustable shade, so you can direct the light where you need it. It will not transform your life, but it can make a working corner more comfortable. “We're no longer allowed to advertise that Lucky Strikes are safe.” From this lesson’s clip, quotation excerpt An opening passive participle describes the main subject as affected by the restriction. It must not turn that subject into the person granting permission.A different way to say it
Watch and check · 6 questions
Answer key and explanations
1–2 minGrammar in a minuteC1 · Negative addition with an omitted predicate
Useful phrases
Explain the effect of framing.
Question a claim without saying it is literally false.Speaking · 3 prompts
One possible answer
One possible answer
One possible answer
The product becomes a story
Watch and check · 6 questions
Answer key and explanations
1–2 minGrammar in a minuteC1 · A manner clause without a change of identity
Useful phrases
Explain an emotional benefit.
Make a pitch more relevant to the audience.Speaking · 3 prompts
One possible answer
One possible answer
One possible answer
1–2 minGrammar masteryC1 · A passive opening with the right subject