Essay Undergraduate 1,196 words

True Hockey A6.0 Ad Critique: USA Hockey Magazine 2016

~6 min read 6 sections Marketing · Advertisement Analysis

Abstract

This paper critically analyzes a full-page advertisement for the True Hockey A6.0 hockey stick, published in the September 2016 issue of USA Hockey Magazine. The analysis evaluates the ad's visual design, color scheme, tagline, copy, and persuasive strategies against established advertising principles. The paper identifies significant weaknesses, including a misaligned product positioning, vague copy that fails to speak to a specific hockey audience, a typographical error, and an absence of emotional or logical appeal. The author concludes that the ad lacks a coherent narrative and fails to connect the product's claimed benefits to the values and needs of its target market.

Key Takeaways

Overview of the Advertisement: Context, publication, timing, and advertiser background
Visual Design and Tagline: Color scheme, fonts, tagline analysis, and typos
Copy and Product Claims: Product features evaluated against hockey player needs
Target Market and Audience Appeal: Who the ad targets and how well it speaks to them
Persuasive Techniques: Logos, ethos, and pathos assessed in the ad
Conclusion: Overall judgment of the ad's effectiveness

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What makes this paper effective

The critique moves systematically from visual elements to copy to broader marketing strategy, creating a logical analytical progression.
The author grounds observations in advertising theory, referencing target market definition and persuasive technique frameworks (logos, ethos, pathos), giving the critique academic credibility.
Domain knowledge of hockey — such as the distinction between strength and flexibility for a shooter's stick — strengthens the analysis and demonstrates audience awareness.

Key academic technique demonstrated

The paper demonstrates applied rhetorical analysis. The author does not merely describe the ad but evaluates each element — imagery, tagline, copy, and persuasive appeal — against the ad's stated goal of selling a "shooter's stick" to a defined market. This evaluative lens, backed by citations, elevates the paper beyond personal opinion into structured critique.

Structure breakdown

The paper opens with context (the publication, timing, and advertiser). It then moves through visual design and tagline analysis, evaluates product claims against real hockey player needs, considers target market definition, and assesses persuasive technique. The conclusion synthesizes these weaknesses into an overall judgment. Each section builds on the previous, making the final verdict feel well-supported rather than abrupt.

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Essay 1,196 words

Overview of the Advertisement

The advertisement under review appears in USA Hockey Magazine, September 2016 edition. This is the prime season for advertising hockey equipment because the season is about to begin — players are buying their gear, and for a relatively new manufacturer such as True Hockey, making a strong impression with this ad is essential.

The ad promotes a hockey stick, the A6.0. It features a white male adult hockey player in his twenties, stopping on the ice and holding the stick out toward the camera. The player has a generic hockey player appearance — a somewhat square face with stubble — but the model is staring blankly at nothing in particular, which makes the pose feel unnatural. It is also worth noting that the stick is advertised as "the ultimate shooter's stick," yet the player is neither in a shooting motion, a shooting position, nor a post-shot position.

5 Sections Hidden · 710 words

Visual Design and Tagline175 words

The ad uses a black and blue color scheme: a dark blue background, blue-black ice, a black stick, and a blue jersey, punctuated by white ice spray as the player stops. There is relatively little copy. The main tagline is "A True…

Copy and Product Claims185 words

The bulk of the body copy highlights three product features: strength, balance, and power. These are not necessarily the most important attributes for a stick…

Target Market and Audience Appeal155 words

But this raises a key issue: the target market is never really framed. Different hockey markets have different needs — adult recreational players, children…

Persuasive Techniques110 words

The persuasive techniques employed in the ad are generally weak. There is insufficient factual information to construct a credible logos argument,…

Conclusion85 words

The ad does not align itself with any particular value, either. People play hockey for a wide range of reasons, but the…

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References

Hockey Monkey (2016). True A6.0 Matte Grip Sr. Hockey Stick. Hockey Monkey. Retrieved September 28, 2016 from

Porta, M. (2010). How to define your target market. Inc. Magazine. Retrieved September 28, 2016 from http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/06/defining-your-target-market.html

Xi, T. (2016). What are the key persuasive techniques used in consumer advertising? Houston Chronicle. Retrieved September 28, 2016 from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/key-persuasive-techniques-used-consumer-advertising-74567.html

Key Concepts in This Paper

Target Market Persuasive Techniques Ad Copy Visual Design Hockey Equipment Shooter's Stick Logos Pathos Ethos Sports Advertising Brand Messaging Product Positioning