Hi All,

I'm compiling a list of Classic Hispanic Marketing/ Branding/ Advertising blunders. Probably the most famous of these was the (Chevrolet) Nova introduction into Latin America. They realized too late that "Nova" or "No va" means "doesn't run" in Spanish. Below are some others that I've come across:…….

• A major airline wanted to advertise its new leather first class seats and it translated its "Fly In Leather" campaign literally, which meant "Fly Naked" (vuela en cuero) in Spanish.
  
  
• A beer company's slogan, "Turn It Loose" was translated into "Suffer from Diarrhea" in Spanish.
  
  
• A candy manufacturer's "Cajeta" means caramel to Mexicans, but to others in Latin America it refers to female anatomy.
  
  
• A T-shirt manufacturer printed shirts for the Hispanic market which promoted the Pope's visit in Spanish. Instead of "I saw the Pope" (el Papa), the shirts read "I Saw the Potato" (la papa).
  
  
• The Spanish translation for "Got milk?" came across as "Are you lactating?" in Spanish.
  
  
• A computer manufacturer that used its initials to identify itself was surprised to find out they meant "S.O.B" in Spanish.
  
  
• The Fiero sports car's name meant "ferocious" in Italian but "ugly" in Spanish.
  

and my personal favorite...

• A chicken company's slogan "It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken" was translated to "it takes an aroused man to make a chicken amorous."
  

btw...

• Mitsubishi's Pajero (Montero in US) is an example of a brand that did some research and got it right. Before launching the Pajero in the US, Mitsubishi realized that the car name used in Europe meant "one who masturbates" in some Latin American countries. Thus, the Montero was born.

Let me know if you've heard of more of these gems and I'll add them to the list. E-mail me at royk@garciaresearch.com.

Roy

 

P.S.

Here's a submission I received via e-mail:

• A bakery insisted on running a newspaper ad that read: "Especial para el día de acción de gracias, tenemos pies de calabaza". Which translates to, "Especially for Thanksgiving, we have pumpkin feet." Apparently, the sales rep who submitted the ad could not be convinced that "tarta" would be better in Spanish than "pies" which literally means feet.

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