In a message dated 5/18/00 12:15:34 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > > > > > > > >> These are the nominees for the "Chevy Nova" award. This is given out >in > >> honour of the GM's fiasco in trying to market this car in Central and > >> South America. Of course "No Va" in Spanish means "It doesn't > >> go"......read on: > >> 1. Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux used the following in >an > >> American campaign: "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux." > >> > >> 2. The Dairy Association's huge success with the campaign "Got Milk?" > >> prompted them to expand advertising to Mexico. It was soon brought to > >> their attention the Spanish translation read "Are you Suckling?" > >> > >> 3. Coors put its slogan, "Turn It Loose," into Spanish, where it was >read > >> as "Suffer From Diarrhoea." > >> > >> 4. When Gerber started selling baby food in Africa, they used the same > >> packaging as in the US, with the smiling baby on the label. Later they > >> learned that in Africa, companies routinely put pictures on the labels >of > >> what's inside, since many people can't read. > >> > >> 5. Clairol introduced the "Mist Stick," a curling iron, into Germany >only > >> to find out that "mist" is slang for manure. Not too many people had >use > >> for the "Manure Stick." > >> > >> 6. Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France called 'Cue', the name of >a > >> notorious porno magazine. > >> > >> 7. A Miami T-shirt maker printed shirts for the Spanish market which > >> promoted the Pope's visit. Instead of printing "El Papa" (the Pope) they > >> printed "La Papa" (the potato). > >> 8. Pepsi's "Come Alive With the Pepsi Generation" translated into "Pepsi > >> Brings Your Ancestors Back From the Grave" in Chinese. > >> 9. The Coca-Cola name in China was first read as "Kekoukela", meaning > >> "Bite the wax tadpole" (Manadarin) or "female horse stuffed with wax" > >> (Cantonese). Coke then researched 40,000 characters to find a phonetic > >> equivalent "kokou kole", translating into "happiness in the mouth". > >> 10. 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." > >> 11. 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." > >> 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!". > >> 12. When American Airlines wanted to advertise its new leather first >class > >> seats in the Mexican market, it translated its "Fly In Leather" campaign > >> literally, which meant "Fly Naked" (vuela en cuero) in Spanish!
> These are the nominees for the "Chevy Nova" award. This is given out in > honour of the GM's fiasco in trying to market this car in Central and > South America. Of course "No Va" in Spanish means "It doesn't > go"......read on: > 1. Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux used the following in an > American campaign: "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux." > > 2. The Dairy Association's huge success with the campaign "Got Milk?" > prompted them to expand advertising to Mexico. It was soon brought to > their attention the Spanish translation read "Are you Suckling?" > > 3. Coors put its slogan, "Turn It Loose," into Spanish, where it was read > as "Suffer From Diarrhoea." > > 4. When Gerber started selling baby food in Africa, they used the same > packaging as in the US, with the smiling baby on the label. Later they > learned that in Africa, companies routinely put pictures on the labels of > what's inside, since many people can't read. > > 5. Clairol introduced the "Mist Stick," a curling iron, into Germany only > to find out that "mist" is slang for manure. Not too many people had use > for the "Manure Stick." > > 6. Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France called 'Cue', the name of a > notorious porno magazine. > > 7. A Miami T-shirt maker printed shirts for the Spanish market which > promoted the Pope's visit. Instead of printing "El Papa" (the Pope) they > printed "La Papa" (the potato). > 8. Pepsi's "Come Alive With the Pepsi Generation" translated into "Pepsi > Brings Your Ancestors Back From the Grave" in Chinese. > 9. The Coca-Cola name in China was first read as "Kekoukela", meaning > "Bite the wax tadpole" (Manadarin) or "female horse stuffed with wax" > (Cantonese). Coke then researched 40,000 characters to find a phonetic > equivalent "kokou kole", translating into "happiness in the mouth". > 10. 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." > 11. 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." > 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!". > 12. When American Airlines wanted to advertise its new leather first class > seats in the Mexican market, it translated its "Fly In Leather" campaign > literally, which meant "Fly Naked" (vuela en cuero) in Spanish! >
