1. Watch the TED TALK entitled What if advertising was honest?
(about 11 minutes)
https://www.ted.com/talks/sylvester_chauke_what_if_advertising_was_honest
2. To help you watch and understand the Ted Talk, use the glossary:
(definitions created with the help of ChatGPT)
English Polish equivalent/ English definition
to thrive to develop rapidly
to strike like a lightning bolt to have a sudden epiphany
fixation on sth an excessive obsession with sth
excessive (consumerism) more than is necessary
overconsumption excessive consumption
environmental degradation deterioration or harm caused to the natural
environment
sneaky dishonest, tricky
hilarious extremely funny
to bombard sb with sth to overwhelm sb with questions
to nudge sb towards sth to gently encourage sb to do sth
to be immersed in sth to be deeply involved in sth
a shortage a situation in which there is not enough of sth
unimaginable unthinkable, inconceivable
acute here: severe
to tackle to deal with problems
to impel sb to do sth to strongly urge sb to do sth
to atone for sth to make amends for sth/to seek forgiveness for a
mistake
a misstep an error in judgement
bonkers crazy, insane
an undertaking a task, a project
to strut your stuff to confidently show off you abilities
meticulously very careful to detail
to scrutinise to examine
a paradigm a pattern
to put an emphasis on sth to emphasise sth
glaringly obvious so apparent that it draws attention
to advocate sth to publicly support
to sanitize to make sth more acceptable or less offensive
to showcase to show, to display
a landfill a site where waste material is buried
To keep up with the Joneses (idiom) to try to match the lifestyle of others,often out of
the desire not to feel inferior
a wingman a helper
a pat on the back support
to utilize to use
loud and clear easily understood
unashamedly without shame
to leverage to use sth to maximum advantage
to channel sth into sth to direct energy/focus towards sth
pivotal crucial, imperative
to embrace to accept
to play a prank on sb to trick/ to deceive sb
unprecedented never done or known before
a misgiving a feeling of doubt/concern
3. Now answer the following questions:
1. Who is the speaker? What does he do for the living? What is his approach to his job?
2. What are his misgivings about the advertising and PR industry?
3. What is a mess-terpiece the advertising and PR industries have created in the speaker's
opinion?
4. How can we change the situation for the better in the speaker's opinion? In other words, how
can we atone for our missteps?
5. Can you give concrete examples that the speaker puts forward of what can be done? Give
three examples.
6. What did Ikea do and what is the speaker's opinion of their action?
7. What is your own opinion? Reflect on the speaker's ideas and decide how you view the idea
of responsible advertising.
4. Familiarise yourself with the criteria according to which your participation in the
lesson will be graded:
(criteria created with the help of Chat GPT)
Criteria Exemplary Proficient Developing Needs Improvement
Completes most Completes some
Pre- Completes all pre-
pre-class work; pre-class work;
Class class work; comes Rarely completes pre-class
shows limited
Prepara fully prepared with work; comes unprepared.
understanding of understanding of
tion notes or questions.
materials. materials.
Consistently
contributes to Participates
In-Class Participates
discussions and regularly in Rarely participates, even when
Particip occasionally; may
group activities; discussions and prompted.
ation need prompting.
offers insightful group work.
ideas.
Actively
Works well with Contributes to
collaborates with Does not collaborate
Collabor peers; contributes group tasks but is
peers, offers help, effectively or contribute to
ation adequately to somewhat
and listens to group work.
group tasks. disengaged.
others.
Provides deep,
Reflects on Limited reflection;
thoughtful Does not engage in reflection
Reflectio participation but surface-level
reflections on or provide meaningful
n lacks depth in comments on
learning and feedback.
insights. participation.
participation.
5. Fill in the gaps in the following vocabulary exercise as homework.
Can You Fill in the Blanks? (generated with the help of TWEE)
advocating, nudge, fixation, undertakings, misstep, glaringly, impel, paradigm, utilise,
unprecedented, scrutinise, immersed, shortage, leverage, thrive, bombarded, showcasing,
excessive, tackle, pivotal, unimaginable, loud, atone
In today's world, the public faces an u_______________(1) onslaught of advertisements, with
consumers b_______________(2) by e_______________(3) marketing messages daily. This
f_______________(4) on advertising has created an environment where individuals are
i_______________(5) in a sea of slogans and jingles designed to n_______________(6) them
towards purchasing products they might not need. Advertisers l_______________(7)
psychological tactics to i_______________(8) consumers to act, ranging from emotional
appeals to creating a sense of scarcity that suggests a s_______________(9) of products.
Such methods may seem like a m_______________(10) when ethical lines are crossed,
prompting the industry to a_______________(11) for its practices by a_______________(12)
responsible advertising. However, it is g_______________(13) obvious that advertising is
p_______________(14) to the modern economy. Businesses that u_______________(15) these
platforms effectively can t_______________(16), reaching previously u_______________(17)
audiences. Campaigns s_______________(18) brand values l_______________(19) and clear
have the power to establish trust and loyalty among consumers, proving that marketing is
about forming relationships, not merely sales. Yet, this does not absolve the industry of
responsibility. To s_______________(20) the effects of such u_______________(21), one must
consider the ethical p_______________(22) in which they operate. As society evolves, so
must the approaches used to t_______________(23) manipulation and consumer welfare. The
challenge lies in balancing innovation with integrity in a world where digital platforms
serve as primary tools for persuasion.
Thank you for your work:) I am looking forward to discussing all the elements with you
during the class:)
