Advertising Vocabulary for English Learners

English as a Second Language (ESL) for Teachers and Students

By

Updated February 25, 2020

Here is a group of words and expressions that are often used in the advertising business. This vocabulary can be used in English for specific purposes classes as a starting point to help build vocabulary.

Teachers are often not equipped with the exact English terminology required in very specific trade sectors. For this reason, core vocabulary sheets go a long way in helping teachers provide adequate materials for students with English for Specific Purposes needs. This vocabulary will also help English learners interested in building vocabulary in this profession.

advertisement - ad advertiser advertising - publicity advertising agency advertising agent advertising budget advertising campaign advertising columns advertising consultant advertising dealer advertising effectiveness advertising expenses advertising in the yellow pages advertising man - adman advertising manager advertising media advertising planner advertising poster (GB) - advertising board (US) advertising rate advertising support advertising to sales ratio announcement - press release art director audience audience composition average audience average circulation billboards (GB) - hoardings (US) billsticking - billposting bleed page blow-up body copy - copy booklet brand image broadcasting	brochure campaign briefing campaign evaluation campaign testing campaign turnover caption cartoons to cast circulation classified advertisements to clip clipping agency close-up column column width columnist commercial commercial break communication communication plan comparative advertising complimentary copy consumer acceptance consumer advertising consumer promotion copywriter corporate advertising corporate campaign creative department creativity cross advertising daily paper direct advertising door-to-door advertising economy size	editor editorial advertising editorial article effective reach exhibitors' area feedback follow-on campaign follow-up campaign frame gag gatefold graphic designer graphics headline high-circulation weekly magazine high circulation house agency house magazine household panel image in-store demo in-store promotion informative advertising insertion - advertisement inside cover jingle key-account manager large print run layout leaflet (GB) - folder (US) leit motiv lettering local advertising magazine circulation mail advertising
market coverage mass advertising mass communication mass media - media media buyer media buying media buying agency media department media planner media planning media strategy merchandising misprint mural advertising neon sign news agency newsletter number of copies opinion leaders opinion maker opinion poll order card outdoor sign pay-off peak time periodic pocket edition point of purchase advertising (POPA) point of sale material popularity rating - audience poster (GB) - board (US) posting press agent press cutting - clippings press office	press release to promote promoter promotion promotional action promotional campaign promotional costs promotional support publisher publishing radio commercial ratings readership to recall reportage sales incentive salesforce promotion script shop display shop sign shop window short short commercial sketch sky-writing slide slogan socio-economic groups to sponsor sponsor sponsorship spot storyboard strategic planning strengthening of the campaign	subheading subliminal advertising subscriber subtitle support campaign supporting promotion tabloid tailor-made promotion target group tax on advertising technical magazine television audience measurement (TAM) test campaign testimonial throwaway - flier tied-in advertising tied-in campaign total ratings trade journal trade magazine transfer (GB) - decal (US) transport advertising TV network TV spot - commercial visual visual appeal visual proposal to visualize visualizer window-dresser window bill window display window streamer zapping

Study Tips

Notice that many of these expressions are made up of two or three words. These might either be compound nouns, in which two nouns are combined to make a single word:

news agency - Let's contact a news agency for more information.
sales incentive - We're offering a sales incentive at the end of the month.
target group - Young teenagers are our target group for this advertising campaign.

Other vocabulary on this sheet are collocations. Collocations are words that usually belong together. Often this is an adjective + noun combination such as:

Our average circulation is about 20,000 copies.
We've had a lot of luck with comparative advertising.

English for Specific Purposes Core Vocabulary Lists

Follow these links for other pages dedicated to English for a wide range of professions.

English for Advertising
English for Banking and Stocks
English for Book Keeping and Financial Administration
English for Business and Commercial Letters
English for Human Resources
English for the Insurance Industry
English for Legal Purposes
English for Logistics
English for Marketing
English for Production and Manufacturing
English for Sales and Acquisitions