Earlier in the year I touched on how marketers can get into trouble when they introduce their products to new countries and don’t pay close attention to cultural differences. Here are more examples of botched international slogans, names and campaigns…
Brand: Parker Pen
Slogan: ‘It won’t leak in your pocket and embarrass you.’
Slogan in Spanish: ‘It won’t leak in your pocket and make you pregnant’
Brand: Electrolux (Vacuum Cleaners)
Slogan for their American campaign: ‘Nothing Sucks like an Electrolux’
Brand: Clairol
Name: Mist Stick (Curling Iron)
Name’s translation in German: ‘Manure Stick’
Brand: Pepsi
Slogan: ‘Come Alive With the Pepsi Generation’
Slogan in Chinese: ‘Pepsi Brings Your Ancestors Back From the Grave’
Brand: Colgate (Toothpaste)
Name: Cue
Name’s notoriety in France: A notorious porn magazine
Brand: American Airlines
Slogan: ‘Fly in Leather’
Slogan in Spanish: ‘Fly Naked’
Brand: American Dairy Association
Slogan: ‘Got Milk’
Slogan in Spanish: ‘Are You Lactating?’
Brand: Coca-Cola
Name: Coca-Cola
Name’s translation in Chinese: ‘Bite the Wax Tadpole’ or ‘Female Horse Stuffed with Wax’ depending on the dialect.
Can you think of more?
The Blake Project Can Help: The Brand Positioning Workshop
Branding Strategy Insider is a service of The Blake Project: A strategic brand consultancy specializing in Brand Research, Brand Strategy, Brand Licensing and Brand Education
6 comments
Derrick Daye
December 29, 2006 at 2:11 pm
As the person in charge of American dairy promotions in Mexico, I can ensure you that this campaign has never been shown in Mexico. Indeed, the phrase “Got Milk” translates much as you portrayed, but this was well-known by our staff and therefore other promotional methods have been used to greatly increase US dairy shipments to Mexico over the last few years.
Tom Suber, President
US Dairy Export Council – Via email
Tom, thanks for the clarification. Derrick
Vince Runza
January 1, 2007 at 8:45 am
Brand: eBay
Slogan in English: Get “IT” on eBay
Unintended meaning: Gettin’ ‘it’ has a sexual overtone. Perhaps that’s why a woman from IL put up an auction for a One Night Stand!
You can’t make this stuff up…
Vince
P.S. Said auction was reported to eBay and pulled – but not after being bid up to $0.99!
Becky Carroll
January 6, 2007 at 2:38 pm
How about the Chevy Nova? In Spanish, “No va” means “doesn’t go”.
Derrick Daye
January 6, 2007 at 8:53 pm
Hi Becky,
You’re right, that blunder is too big not to list! We mentioned it here in an earlier post on this topic…
https://brandingstrategyinsider.com/branding_and_cultural_differences/index.html
Derrick
gigi
January 30, 2007 at 3:16 am
a very good summery! i can also think of one. KFC’s “Nobody Does Chicken Like KFC” slogan laughed the hell out of us because “does chicken” can literally translate as “hookering” in Chinese
Chloe
March 28, 2008 at 5:02 pm
I have been reading this blog as routine and learned a lot! Thank you very much for such a wonderful branding website!
I couldn’t help laughing when I read this:
“Brand: Coca-Cola
Name: Coca-Cola
Name’s translation in Chinese: ‘Bite the Wax Tadpole’ or ‘Female Horse Stuffed with Wax’ depending on the dialect.”
Fyi, I am Chinese and have never heard such a slogan in China or anything similar. On the contrary, in Mandarin, Coca-cola is pronounced, Kekou-Kele, which means “Tasty and it makes me laugh”.
I couldn’t think of another translation which could better interpret and promote Coca Cola in China.
Comments are closed.