Advertising

Learn key vocabulary related to advertising.

by Tim Martyn

digital billboards on a city street

↔  scrollable table

Word/phrase CEFR Definition Example
advertisement (n.) B1+ an image, set of words, audio or video that is used to convince people to buy something There are so many advertisements for holidays right now.
brochure (n.) B1+ a thin book that contains information about something or advertises something I picked up a few brochures at the travel agency to help us decide where we want to go on holiday.
promote (v.) B1+ an action someone takes to help sell a product or service He has gone on tour to promote his new album.
advertise (v.) B1+ tell the public about a product or service to encourage them to buy it It was advertised as the last vacuum cleaner you'll ever need to buy!
agency (n.) B1+ a business that provides a particular service She decided to start her own advertising agency.
commercial (n.) B1+ an advertisement on television or the radio I heard a clever commercial on the TV the other day.
slogan (n.) B2 a short, easy-to-remember phrase that is used in advertising. That company has such a catchy slogan.
poster (n.) B2 a large notice, often with a picture on it, that is put in a public place in order to advertise something They put up posters across the university, hoping to attract students to the concert.
target (v.) B2 try to get a particular group to buy a product or service This service is targeted at business owners.
spam (n.) B2 advertising material sent by email that the recipient has not asked for My mailbox is full of spam!
trailer (n.) B2 a short video showing highlights from a film or television program in order to advertise it I love watching the trailers at the cinema.
market (v.) B2 advertise a product or service in a particular way to make it appealing and encourage people to buy it Their products are marketed in a very clever way.
sponsor (n.) B2 a company that pays for an event or program as a way of advertising their products or services Coca Cola is the major sponsor this year.
market research (n.) B2+ the process of finding out what people buy and why they buy it The company did a lot of market research before developing their product.
publicity (n.) B2+ the activity of making sure that people know about a new book, event, etc. They launched a publicity campaign for the festival.
hype (n.) B2+ when something gets a lot of attention in newspapers, on television, etc., making it seem more important/exciting than it really is There's been a lot of hype about this product.
niche market (n.) B2+ a small group of people with very particular needs or interests Divorced retirees are a niche market in the tourism industry.
viral (adj.) B2+ shared by many people on the Internet His latest video went viral.
billboard (n.) C1 a large sign, usually next to a road, that is used to advertise something Billboards are quite an effective method of advertising.
plug (v.) C1 to praise a new book, film, etc. on television or the radio as a way of advertising it She took the opportunity to plug her new book.
publicist (n.) C1 a person whose job it is to make sure that people know about a new book, event, etc. His publicist orchestrated the whole thing.
jingle (n.) C1 a short tune that is used in television and radio advertising I can't get that jingle out of my head!
mailing list (n.) C1 a list of names, (email) addresses, etc. that a business uses when it wants to send information and advertising to people The company has over 100,000 people on its mailing list.
merchandising (n.) C1 products relating to a particular singer, sports team, etc. that are sold to make money The band makes a considerable proportion of its revenue through merchandising.
gimmick (n.) C1 an unusual trick that is used to attract attention and get people to buy something This is just a gimmick to encourage people to sign up.