Lost in translation? The linguistic misunderstandings that Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray experience in Tokyo are by no means an invention of the film industry. Time and again, linguistic marketing flops and embarrassing advertising mistranslations make headlines. These not only cause amusement or misunderstandings among (potential) customers. They can also cost companies their credibility and a great deal of money. After all, what sounds good to the domestic market can sometimes trigger unexpected associations in the target country. In worst-case scenarios, this may involve things that no company wishes to be connected with.
See for yourself! In this blog post, you’ll read about some particularly memorable translation fails and learn why professional translations and localization by native speakers are so important.
The most amusing advertising mistranslations
Whether it’s local firms or global conglomerates: the slogans, marketing texts and product names used in their internationalization strategies are often simply adopted directly or translated verbatim. The following translation fails show just how quickly things can go awry.
Inappropriate product names: Would you rather drive with someone who self-pleasures or with an ugly hag?
Car manufacturers often show poor judgement when choosing product names to use abroad. For instance, the Mitsubishi ‘Pajero’ model had a rough ride in Spain. Why? In Spanish, the word “Pajero” means “someone who self-pleasures” – a crude name that no Spanish speaker would actually use.
Toyota’s “Nova” was perceived as being unreliable (“no va” = “doesn’t drive”) and American carmaker Ford also lost its way in Spain by christening its “Fiera” truck an ugly hag. On the other hand, the “Pinto” model provided much amusement in Brazil when it turned out that Ford had actually launched a ‘Penis’ car. It was quickly renamed the “Corcel,” with the rather more prosaic translation “horse.”
The Asian market, in particular, presents a challenge for many companies due to its – for us – exotic languages: Apple also found itself in a penile predicament when it used a literal translation of its iPhone slogan “This is 7” for the Hong Kong market. It turns out that the number ‘7’ is used there as a slang term for the male member.
Brand names that advertise something different
After branching out into the English market, Japan’s second-largest tour operator, Kinki Nippon Tourist Company, was inundated with unexpected enquiries about erotic holiday packages. A prompt change of name was the only remedy.
When Coca-Cola was launched on the Chinese market, the company carefully selected Chinese characters to produce a phonetic sound similar to the pronunciation of the American name. Unfortunately, the fact that these characters, and hence the Coca-Cola name in China, actually meant “bite the wax tadpole” was not considered. The company salvaged this faux pas by renaming the brand as “K’o K’ou K’o Lê,” ensuring that the brown fizzy drink is now “tasty and makes people happy.”
Welcoming back the deceased: The slogans inciting people to take absurd actions
Coca-Cola’s competitor Pepsi promised supernatural powers instead of wax tadpoles: rather than “Come alive with the Pepsi Generation,” the soft drink was marketed in China using the slogan “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave.”
Even the chicken fast-food giant KFC ended up with egg on its face in the Chinese market. The translation of the American slogan “Finger lickin‘ good” encouraged Chinese customers to chew on their fingers. We’re still waiting to hear what that tasted like.
A mistranslated slogan is not only amusing but can also be expensive – something that major British bank HSBC came to appreciate. The English slogan “Assume Nothing” was translated in many countries as the call to action “Do Nothing” – so, not exactly a statement that inspired customers to use the product. This caused major reputational damage and resulted in a rebranding that cost the bank around ten million pound.
However, ill-considered translations are not the only source of confusion. More and more German companies deliberately uses English slogans – sadly not always with convincing results. For instance, the former slogan for Hamburg-based perfumery Douglas “Come in and find out” was frequently interpreted as “Kommen Sie rein und finden Sie wieder raus” (come in and find your way out again). Needless to say, this didn’t have the intended promotional effect.
Those who read correctly are one step ahead
Languages don’t just have different alphabets and grammar. Sometimes, they are also read in different directions. Detergent manufacturer Persil overlooked this fact when it published the simple yet effective slogan “dirty – Persil – clean” in Islamic countries. Since people there read from right to left, Persil was actually touting its ability to make laundry dirtier. Definitely not a convincing sales pitch.
How to avoid translation fails
The examples show: Even marketing pros are not immune from making mistakes, especially when it comes to intercultural marketing. If you want to operate successfully on the international stage, you need to think globally and engage the respective target market with international and localized marketing strategies. Correct and professional-looking translations are the key to your success.
But don’t panic if you’re not up to speed with cultural subtleties: Our native translators speak more than 150 languages and their cultural knowledge will ensure that your content is understood exactly as you intended.
