IELTS essay sample | The popularity of consumer goods is a reflection of the power of advertising

Essay topic

Today, the high of popular consumer goods reflect the power of advertising and not the real needs of the society in which they are sold.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Sample essay

Consumer goods are flying off the shelves. People feel a compulsive need to buy them because their friends and colleagues have already bought them. They don’t care whether they need a particular product or not. The thrill is in buying. Therefore, I agree with the argument that the huge popularity of consumer goods is a reflection of the power of advertising.

Commercials always present a product as a must-have. However, the reality is different. It is perfectly possible to lead a normal life without owing the latest version of the iPhone. Still people are standing in queues for hours on end to get their model as soon as a new version of the famed phone launches. Everyone wants to be the first among their friends to own the latest iPad or iPhone. It is touted as an achievement.

New age commercials exploit the human need to brag and show off. They showcase their product as cool and sexy and drive home the point that if you own it, you will also be cool. Ten or fifteen years ago smart phones didn’t exist. People were still able to communicate with one another without much difficulty. Nowadays it is hard to find someone who doesn’t have a smart phone. This does not mean that people’s need to communicate has increased. It shows the power of advertising. Smart phones have become a status symbol. You need to possess the latest model. Otherwise, you feel inferior to your peers who dump their perfectly working old phones as soon as a new model hits the market. Phones are no longer a device we use to make calls. They now possess a lot of features that the vast majority of us do not use or even need. Still, we feel a compulsive need to own the latest version. This is true in the case of other products too. Everyone wants the latest model cars or gaming consoles.

To conclude, it is evident that advertising drives sales. Commercials have such a huge impact on our lives that we don’t mind spending our hard-earned money on products that we don’t even need.

Manjusha Nambiar

Hi, I'm Manjusha. This is my blog where I give IELTS preparation tips.

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