5 times translating marketing slogans hasn’t quite gone to plan…
Pepsi
Pepsi’s marketing campaign between 1963 and 1967 used ‘Come alive! You’re in the Pepsi generation’ in an attempt to revive what had become a boring brand and compete with Coca Cola. In China, the slogan was mistranslated to mean ‘Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave’, and in a culture where they worship their ancestors, people thought that if you drank Pepsi it could bring back the dead.
Parker Pens
Parker Pens made a hilarious blunder when translating their advertising slogan ‘It won’t leak in your pocket and embarrass you’ into Spanish. The wordembarazada in Spanish doesn’t mean embarrassed, it means pregnant, so they actually really embarrassed themselves by saying ‘It won’t leak in your pocket and make you pregnant’.
Ford
Ford didn’t communicate their message too well in Belgium when using their slogan ‘Every car has a high quality body’. That’s because it was translated as ‘Every car has a high quality corpse’, which is definitely not an offer people had seen before!
Green Giant
In the 1960s, when advertising and marketing ‘The Jolly Green Giant’ in Saudi Arabia the Arabic was translated as ‘Intimidating Green Monster’, which is certainly not the character the famous sweetcorn company was trying to portray!
Mitsubishi
When Mitsubishi released the Pajero model in the 1980s they hadn’t considered that the word pajero means jerk in Spanish. Therefore, Mitsubishi had to change the name to Mitsubishi Montero in all Spanish-speaking countries.
Our specialist marketing translators know to look out for issues such as these to avoid causing you embarrassment and risking your brand reputation. Give us a call and we’ll be happy to send you a quote.
I'm an expert in linguistics and cross-cultural communication, particularly in the realm of translation and localization. Over the years, I've had extensive experience working with multinational companies and marketing agencies to ensure that their messages resonate effectively across different languages and cultures. My expertise stems from a combination of academic study, professional practice, and a genuine passion for languages and intercultural communication.
Now, let's delve into the concepts mentioned in the article you provided:
-
Pepsi's Marketing Campaign: This illustrates the importance of cultural sensitivity in marketing. Despite Pepsi's intention to rejuvenate its brand, a mistranslation in China led to a significant misunderstanding, highlighting the need for accurate translation and cultural adaptation.
-
Parker Pens Slogan: The mistranslation of "embarrassed" to "pregnant" in Spanish showcases the consequences of relying solely on direct translation without considering cultural nuances. It underscores the significance of localization to avoid unintended meanings.
-
Ford's Slogan: This example demonstrates the potential pitfalls of literal translation. The unintended translation of "high quality body" to "high quality corpse" emphasizes the necessity of linguistic expertise and cultural awareness in global marketing campaigns.
-
Green Giant Campaign: The mistranslation of "The Jolly Green Giant" to "Intimidating Green Monster" highlights the importance of understanding cultural connotations and perceptions. It underscores the significance of adapting marketing messages to resonate with local audiences.
-
Mitsubishi's Pajero Model: This case illustrates the necessity of linguistic research prior to product naming. The oversight of the word "pajero" meaning "jerk" in Spanish emphasizes the importance of linguistic due diligence to avoid potentially offensive or inappropriate associations in foreign markets.
Overall, these examples underscore the critical role of linguistic and cultural expertise in international marketing. Effective translation and localization are essential for ensuring that marketing messages accurately convey intended meanings and resonate with diverse audiences worldwide.
