Rough Draft Ad Analysis Paper

King of the Ring: Ad Analysis

……….A picture is not worth a thousand words, but a million[DU1] . Ads with pictures have been shown since marketing was born and yet[DU2]  they are still used presently. Not only are they cheaper[DU3] than other advertisements, but also they are very effective. Advertisements are announcements of merchandise for sale in newspapers, magazines, etc. What people don’t know is how much thought actually goes into making an Ad[DU4] because you may only have a simply picture with a logo, but that one picture can provide a great advertisement for the merchandise being sold. When I say great advertisement I mean the picture or design shows the viewer something that is not just seen by the naked eye; you may have to analyze the ad for a while until you can answer, what does this ad mean?[DU5] 

            The top of the ad consists of a black background with a beam of light coming from the top. As your eyes move to the middle of the ad you notice the beam of light hitting a boxer, who was on his knees in the corner of the ring, holding onto the top ropes. The ropes were red, white and blue with a red turnbuckle. The boxer seems to be praying with a dark “audience” surrounding[DU6] around him. He was ripped[DU7]  with muscles from head to toe showinghow strong and intimidating he can be. The boxer was wearing red, Nike shoes and white trunks with a golden eagle design and “pacman” written on the sash of his trunks. The bottom of the ad reveals “MP” with a crown or sun on top of the “M”, the Nike logo, a quote that says “Give Us This Day” and “12.06.08.”

            The boxer[DU8]  was the first thing that catches your attention. One cannot strongly recognize the boxer to be Manny Pacquiao, but thanks to his nickname on his trunks and the “MP”, the reader can figure it out. You can see Pacquiao’s body language as if he were in prayer, but it’s logical because he always prays before and after his fights[DU9] . The way his arms and the turnbuckle are placed look similar to Jesus Christ when he was crucified;[DU10]  even more when you notice the beam of light coming down from the sky[DU11] . This would imply Pacquiao as being a savior and that he is going to save the hopes of all the fans that want Pacquiao to win against legend, Oscar de la Hoya. “Give Us This Day,” is the quote in the ad that is also an excerpt from the Lord’s Prayer, which further proves that Pacquiao is praying.[DU12] He is praying along with all of the Pacquiao fans for victory against de la Hoya. They are all said “Give Us This Day” because they knew the odds were against them and they were going to be fighting against an undefeatable boxer.[DU13] Doubt occupied all their minds, which is why they must go to the lord for help and guidance.  Underneath “Give Us This Day” it shows the date “12.06.08.” which symbolizes the day of the fight against de la Hoya meaning that that is the day that fans want “given.” [DU14] The main advertisement of the ad was Nike because not only was the Nike sign written on the bottom, but also Pacquiao was wearing red, Nike shoes. They used the color red to show that he is fast with great agility, which is similar to what an eagle symbolizes and the reason for Pacquiao having the eagle on his trunks.  At first I thought the ad was for young adult and adult boxers, but now that I analyzed the article, it seems the ad seems to affect Pacquiao fans to get them “pumped up” for the tough fight about to come. [DU15] 

            The ad’s intentions were quite successful considering how simple the ad was[DU16] . The ad is testimonial because not only is Pacquiao a great, well-known boxer, but also he is a prodigy. Having him advertise Nike with Pacquiao’s upcoming fight was well thought out because it reaches out to people saying Pacquiao uses Nike, which gives the viewer another reason to buy Nike products. At first I thought there was crown on the “M” in “MP”, but I took a further look and it is actually a sun. The sun represents the Philippines, his home country, because the Philippine flag has a similar sun on it. This “half sun” also represents his uprising in the game of boxing and he is proud from where he comes from. Since it also looks like a crown, it is all just a part of Manny’s logo, but it is located on the top of all the writing, which may stand as him being the king in boxing[DU17] . Also the red, white and blue ropes, in the ring, show patriotism in the sport of boxing meaning and show a disadvantage because he is not fighting in his home country. When the fight was announced a lot of people said that de la Hoya was going to win because he was much more experience. This ad shows hidden fears because Pacquiao knew he should not underestimate de la Hoya, so he brings “the heat” and wears shoes by Nike. The advertisement reveals, even when you face a big threat, with Nike you will be unstoppable.[DU18] 

            An advertisement can mean anything. It can be simple, it can be complicated, it can have famous people, it can have animals, it can be various colors or it can be black and white. The reason why a picture becomes an ad it represents something and almost everything in the ad will represent something. Especially characteristics you would not automatically think about when you first look at it. This Nike ad with Manny Pacquiao is a very enjoyable ad that is a great example of something simple being so effective, but only after one analysis the ad will they be able to answer, what does this ad mean?