Click here for the PDF handout or try the online quiz, reading, listening, and activities on grammar, spelling and vocabulary for this lesson on Gucci. Click on the links below or see the activities below this article:
READ
Gucci, or the House of Gucci, is a leading brand of fashion and leather goods. Its name is synonymous with style and luxury. It was founded in 1921 by fashion designer Guccio Gucci. Many of his designs are still with the company today, most notably the bamboo handle handbag. He also designed the company’s trademark green and red striped finishing. Gucci has almost 300 stores worldwide and an annual revenue in excess of $2.5 billion. The group has become a major force in the industry by acquiring other brands such as Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney and Yves Saint Laurent. According to ‘Business Week’ magazine Gucci was in 41st position on the 2009 "Top Global 100 Brands". Gucci is also the biggest-selling Italian brand in the world.
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WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES
WARM-UPS
1. BRAINSTORM: Write all the words you can think of about Gucci on the board or on a piece of paper. Talk about these words with your partner(s).
2. GUCCI MORNING: Each student pretends to be an employee of Gucci. They walk around the class and talk about the company and their job.
3. RUMOURS:Each student writes down a pretend rumour about Gucci. They then walk around the class and talk to other students about their rumour.
4. GOOD AND BAD:Brainstorm good and bad things about Gucci and write them on the board. Students talk about these in pairs.
5. TRUE OR FALSE:Students find out several facts about Gucci. They write these down and add the same number of things about the company that are false. Students test each other on which of their points are true or false.
6. FACTS:In groups, students write down as many facts as they can about Gucci. The winner is the group with the most facts. Teacher may wish to have groups share their facts to make sure they are real.
LISTENING / READING GAP FILL
Gucci, or the House of Gucci, __________________ fashion and leather goods. Its __________________ with style and luxury. It was founded in 1921 by fashion designer Guccio Gucci. Many of his designs are still with the company today, __________________ bamboo handle handbag. He also designed the company’s trademark green and __________________. Gucci has almost 300 stores worldwide __________________ excess of $2.5 billion. The group __________________ force in the industry __________________ brands such as Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney and Yves Saint Laurent. According to ‘Business Week’ magazine Gucci was in 41st position on the 2009 "Top Global 100 Brands". Gucci ____________________ Italian brand in the world.
CORRECT THE SPELLING
Gucci, or the House of Gucci, is a agediln brand of fashion and ehltaer goods. Its name is synonymous with style and uylrux. It was founded in 1921 by fashion designer Guccio Gucci. Many of his designs are still with the company today, most boanlyt the bamboo handle handbag. He also ingsedde the company’s trademark green and red striped finishing. Gucci has almost 300 stores worldwide and an annual revenue in scexse of $2.5 billion. The group has become a arojm force in the ystrunid by acquiring other brands such as Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney and Yves Saint Laurent. According to ‘Business Week’ magazine Gucci was in 41st spioiton on the 2009 "Top Global 100 Brands". Gucci is also the gitbegs-selling Italian brand in the world.
UNJUMBLE THE WORDS
Gucci, or the House of Gucci, is a leading brand of fashion and leather goods. with is Its synonymous name style and luxury. fashion was in by It founded 1921 designer Guccio Gucci. Many of his designs are still with most the company , notably the today bamboo handle handbag. company’s the designed also He trademark green and red striped finishing. Gucci has almost 300 stores revenue excess and annual in worldwide an of $2.5 billion. has a force group become major The in the acquiring by industry such brands other as Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney and Yves Saint Laurent. According to ‘Business Week’ magazine Gucci was in 41st position on the 2009 "Top Global 100 Brands". Gucci is biggest in - the selling also Italian the brand world.
gucci or the house of gucci is a leading brand of fashion and leather goods its name is synonymous with style and luxury it was founded in 1921 by fashion designer guccio gucci many of his designs are still with the company today most notably the bamboo handle handbag he also designed the company’s trademark green and red striped finishing gucci has almost 300 stores worldwide and an annual revenue in excess of $25 billion the group has become a major force in the industry by acquiring other brands such as alexander mcqueen stella mccartney and yves saint laurent according to ‘business week’ magazine gucci was in 41st position on the 2009 "top global 100 brands" gucci is also the biggest-selling italian brand in the world
CHOOSE THE CORRECT TENSE
Gucci, or the House of Gucci, .......... (be) a leading brand of fashion and leather goods. Its name .......... (be) synonymous with style and luxury. It was .......... (found) in 1921 by fashion designer Guccio Gucci. Many of his designs .......... (be) still with the company today, most notably the bamboo handle handbag. He also .......... (design) the company’s trademark green and red striped finishing. Gucci .......... (have) almost 300 stores worldwide and an annual revenue in excess of $2.5 billion. The group has .......... (become) a major force in the industry by .......... (acquire) other brands such as Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney and Yves Saint Laurent. According to ‘Business Week’ magazine Gucci .......... (be) in 41st position on the 2009 "Top Global 100 Brands". Gucci .......... (be) also the biggest-selling Italian brand in the world.
Gucci, or the House of Gucci, is a leading brand of fashion and ____________ goods. Its name is synonymous with style and ____________. It was founded in 1921 by fashion designer Guccio Gucci. Many of his designs are still with the company today, most ____________ the bamboo ____________ handbag. He also designed the company’s trademark green and red ____________ finishing. Gucci has almost 300 stores worldwide and an annual revenue in ____________ of $2.5 billion. The group has become a major ____________ in the industry by ____________ other brands such as Alexander McQueen, Stella McCartney and Yves Saint Laurent. According to ‘Business Week’ magazine Gucci was in 41st ____________ on the 2009 "Top Global 100 Brands". Gucci is also the biggest-____________ Italian brand in the world.
handle
force
position
striped
selling
leather
notably
acquiring
luxury
excess
PROJECT GUCCI
Part 1. Your mission is to increase the profits and sales of Gucci. Complete this table with your project partner(s):
Main products
How to improve them
A brand new ‘killer’ product
How Gucci is better than the competition
How to beat the competition
Part 2. Change partners and look at their project. Suggest improvements. Ask for advice on your project:
Part 3. Make a presentation on your project. Give it to the class. Vote the best projects.
GUCCI – ROLE PLAY 1
Role A – Gucci CEO
You believe your company is the best in the world. It pays its workers very well and working conditions are great. Your company is very green – it cares about the environment. You think your levels of customer service are great. Disagree with person B, C and D.
Role B – Gucci worker
You think it’s a bad company to work for. You’re very unhappy with pay, raises and bonuses. You are very unhappy with the working environment. You don’t like the company’s policy on the environment. You keep hearing profits are more important than customers. Disagree with A and C. Tell D the truth.
Role C – Gucci customer
You are a customer of Gucci. You used to think it was great, but not now. Its workers are always very rude. No one ever answers the phone. You are shocked about its policy on the environment. You think all staff should get less pay. You disagree with person A and B. Tell D the truth.
Role D – A journalist
You keep hearing bad things about Gucci. You want to tell the world in your newspaper. You heard the CEO gets a huge bonus every year. You found a company memo saying profits are more important than the environment. You want to know why so many staff are ill. Find the truth.
GUCCI – ROLE PLAY 2
Role A – Gucci New Products Director
You have created a new product for Gucci. You believe the new product will be the company’s best ever. It will be a bestseller. There are people who do not agree with you. You need B, C and D on your side. Tell them why this is a product that will bring great things to Gucci.
Role B – Gucci Marketing Director
You think the company’s new product is a really bad idea. It will give your company a really bad name. You think the New Products Director is trying to destroy the company. Try to get him/her to understand there’s no way the new product will sell. Try to get person C and D on your side.
Role C – Gucci Market Researcher
You have interviewed thousands of people about the new product. They don’t like it or hate it. You think it will be successful if they make many changes. Tell the New Products Director he/she needs to change the product. You neither like nor trust person B. Disagree will him/her.
Role D – Gucci Shareholder
You know a lot about Gucci’s new product. You are worried it will not sell and share prices will go down. You think A is crazy and must find a new job. You agree with everything B says. You don’t agree with C. The new product should not go on the market.
Write a letter of apology to the customer. Explain why you cannot give a refund. Show your partner your letter. Correct each other’s work.
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HOMEWORK
1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.
2. INTERNET INFO: Search the Internet and find more information about Gucci. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.
3. MAGAZINE ARTICLE:Write a magazine article about Gucci. What have they done recently? What are their plans? Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.
4. GUCCI POSTERMake a poster about Gucci. Make sure you sell the company to the public. Show it to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your posters.
5. MY GUCCI LESSON:Make your own English lesson on Gucci. Make sure there is a good mix of things to do. Find some good online activities. Teach the class / another group when you have finished.
6. ONLINE SHARING:Use your blog, wiki, Facebook page, MySpace page, Twitter stream, Del-icio-us / StumbleUpon account, or any other social media tool to get opinions on Gucci. Share your findings with the class.
ANSWERS
Check your answers in the article at the top of this page.
