I thought it would be a good time to take a look at some of the gaffes that companies have made when introducing their brands and slogans to other countries.
For example, the Turn It Loose slogan used by Coors translated into Spanish as Suffer From Diarrhoea.
And Clairol introduced its Mist Stick curling iron into the German market only to find that mist is slang for manure. Not too many people wanted to use a sh-t stick to style their hair.
When Gerber started selling baby food in Africa, they used the same packaging as they had in the US featuring a picture of a baby on the label. In Africa, however, because many people can't read, companies routinely print a picture of the product on the label. Oops.
Meanwhile, Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France called Cue, the same name as a notorious porn mag.
And 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).
Also, when Parker marketed a ball-point pen in Mexico, its ads were supposed to have read It Won't Leak In Your Pocket And Embarrass You. The company thought that the word embarazar (to impregnate) meant to embarrass. The ad actually read It Won't Leak In Your Pocket And Make You Pregnant.
Finally, for the time being, Frank Perdue's chicken slogan It Takes A Strong Man To Make A Tender Chicken translated into Spanish as It Takes An Aroused Man To Make A Chicken Affectionate.
Do you know of any others you'd like to share?
My humour,too!
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