The Super Bowl of advertising
Lesson plan overview
This lesson has been updated with a video about the 2026 Super Bowl.
This Business English lesson explores the Super Bowl’s role in advertising, focusing on the impact of high-profile commercials, marketing strategies, and return on investment. Students will discuss the effectiveness of Super Bowl ads, learn key advertising vocabulary, and analyze real-world examples from some of the biggest brands. You might also like the lessons “Phrasal verbs: marketing and advertising“, “AI influencers“, and “Brand differentiation“.
Speaking: The lesson begins with a conversation activity, where students discuss the Super Bowl’s cultural significance and its halftime show. Then, they complete a short quiz about the Super Bowl and discuss questions about digital marketing, advertising during big sports events, and why companies invest millions in advertising during this event
Vocabulary: Next, students expand their marketing vocabulary, learning terms like ad slots, capitalize on, pop culture, release a teaser, create a buzz, viewership, and airtime. They match words to definitions and complete a gap-fill exercise.
Listening: For listening practice, students watch a video called “2026 Super Bowl ads to look out for“, completing 2 comprehension activities about the Super Bowl ad trends in 2026.
Vocabulary and Speaking: Students learn adjectives to describe advertisements (e.g. relatable, iconic, catchy, cringe-worthy, heartwarming, misleading, forgettable). They analyze past Super Bowl commercials, identify key persuasive techniques, and debate what makes an ad memorable.
For additional speaking practice, printable conversation cards are available.
Who is this lesson suitable for?
This lesson is perfect for upper-intermediate to advanced ESL learners interested in advertising, business, and media. It is particularly useful for students studying marketing, advertising, public relations, and branding, as well as professionals working in digital marketing and content creation.
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Teacher’s lesson plan
Student’s worksheet
Student’s interactive PDF
Conversation cards PDF
Pre-class activities
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In-class activities
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Additional resources
Each video-based lesson plan includes links to additional resources (videos and articles), which are FREE can be found online (in the pre-class activities page. These links aim to extend the learning experience, enabling students to connect classroom knowledge with real-world applications.
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Teacher’s lesson plan
Student’s worksheet
Student’s interactive PDF
Conversation cards PDF
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