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Translated Slogans:
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Coors put its slogan, "Turn it loose," into Spanish, where
it was read as "Suffer from diarrhea."
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Clairol introduced the "Mist Stick," a curling iron, into
German only to find out that "mist" is slang for manure. Not too many people
had use for the "manure stick".
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Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux used the following
in an American campaign: Nothing sucks like an Electrolux.
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The American slogan for Salem cigarettes, "Salem-Feeling
Free", was translated into the Japanese market as "When smoking Salem,
you will feel so refreshed that your mind seems to be free and empty."
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When Gerber started selling baby food in Africa, they used
the same packaging as in the US, with the beautiful baby on the label.
Later they learned that in Africa, companies routinely put pictures on
the label of what's inside, since most people can't read English.
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Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France called Cue, the
name of a notorious porno magazine.
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An American T-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the
Spanish market which promoted the Pope's visit. Instead of "I saw the Pope"
(el Papa), the shirts read "I saw the potato" (la papa).
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In Italy, a campaign for Schweppes Tonic Water translated
the name into "Schweppes Toilet Water."
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Pepsi's "Come alive with the Pepsi Generation" translated
into "Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave," in Chinese.
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Frank Perdue's chicken slogan, "it takes a strong man to
make a tender chicken" was translated into Spanish as "it takes an aroused
man to make a chicken affectionate."
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When Parker Pen marketed a ball-point pen in Mexico, its
ads were supposed to have read, "it won't leak in your pocket and embarrass
you". Instead, the company thought that the word "embarazar" (to
impregnate) meant to embarrass, so the ad read: "It won't leak in your
pocket and make you pregnant".
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The name Coca-Cola in China was first rendered as Ke-kou-ke-la.
Unfortunately, the Coke company did not discover until after thousands
of signs had been printed that the phrase means "bite the wax tadpole"
or "female horse stuffed with wax" depending on the dialect.
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Also in Chinese, the Kentucky Fried Chicken slogan "finger-lickin'
good" came out as "eat your fingers off."
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When General Motors introduced the Chevy Nova in South America,
it was apparently unaware that "no va" means "it "won't go."
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Ford had a similar problem in Brazil when the Pinto flopped.
The company found out that Pinto was Brazilian slang for "tiny male genitals".
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Hunt-Wesson introduced its Big John products in French Canada
as Gros Jos before finding out that the phrase, in slang, means "big breasts."
In this case, however, the name problem did not have a noticeable effect
on sales.
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Japan's second-largest tourist agency was mystified when
it entered English-speaking markets and began receiving requests for unusual
sex tours. Upon finding out why, the owners of Kinki Nippon Tourist
Company changed its name.
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In an effort to boost orange juice sales in predominantly
continental breakfast eating England, a campaign was devised to extoll
the drink's eye-opening, pick-me-up qualities. Hence the slogan, "Orange
juice. It gets your pecker up
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Japanese Product Names
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"Discover Japanese People Alive in their Festivals!" (Japan
Travel Bureau travel guide)
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Hot Piss (antifreeze spray)
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Catch Eye! Catalog Shopping
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Cookie Face (cosmetics)
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Salad Girl (more cosmetics)
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Skin clock for those wishing to become a dog (calendar)
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Naive Lady (toilet paper)
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Strawberry Crap Dessert (crepes)
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The Goo (soup)
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Pork with fresh garbage (cabbage)
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Specialist in Deceased Children (diseased)
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Extract of Fowl Eggs
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Finest Moldy Cheese
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Liver Putty (Japanese SPAM)
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Chocolate Sand Cookies
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My Fanny Toilet Paper
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My Pee Diapers
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Pee pee pot (teakettle)
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VD Facial Cream (Visible Difference)
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Nail Remover (nail polish remover)
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Pocari Sweat (beverage)
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Kolic (mineral water)
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Last Climax (tissues)
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I'm Dripper (instant coffee)
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Other Product Names
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Clean Finger Nail - Chinese tissues
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Ass Glue - Chinese glues
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Swine - Chinese chocolates
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Libido - Chinese soda
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Ban Cock - Indian cockroach repellent
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Homo sausage - East Asian fish sausage
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Hornyphon -Austrian video recorder
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Shitto - Ghanian pepper sauce
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Pipi - Yugoslavian orangeade
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Polio - Czechoslovakian laundry detergent
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Superglans - Netherlands car wax
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Zit - Greek soft drink
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Colon Plus - Spanish detergent
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Translated Menu Items
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Cold shredded children and sea blubber in spicy sauce -
China
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Indonesian Nazi Goreng - Hong Kong
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Muscles Of Marines/Lobster Thermos - Cairo
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Prawn cock and tail - Cairo
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Cock in wine/Lioness cutlet - Cairo
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French fried ships - Cairo
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Garlic Coffee - Europe
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Sole Bonne Femme (Fish Landlady style) - Europe
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Boiled Frogfish - Europe
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Sweat from the trolley - Europe
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Dreaded veal cutlet with potatoes in cream - China
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Rainbow Trout, Fillet Streak, Popotoes, Chocolate Mouse
- Hong Kong
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Roasted duck let loose - Poland
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Beef rashers beaten up in the country peoples fashion -
Poland
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Fried friendship - Nepal
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Strawberry crap - Japan
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Pork with fresh garbage - Vietnam
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Toes with butter and jam - Bali
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Goose Barnacles - Spain
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French Creeps - L.A.
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Fried fishermen - Japan
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Buttered saucepans and fried hormones - Japan
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Teppan Yaki - Before Your Cooked Right Eyes - Japan
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Pepelea's Meat Balls - Romania