Lost In Translation...!

Did you ever wonder how the advertising folks do their selling in foreign countries? It ain't always smooth!

Seems as though some of our phrases sound fine in English, but translate very poorly in some foreign languages. Bad enough to really ruin a good marketing campaign, in fact. Here is a case in point...

Schweppes’s Bathroom Blunder

In modern society, we have come to expect certain things from our drinking water. Most people want their water clean, clear, and in no way associated with human waste. It’s that last part that caused a bit of a problem for Schweppes.

When tonic water manufacturer Schweppes decided to reach out to Italian customers with a shiny new ad campaign, they clearly forgot to consult their pocket dictionaries. As it turns out, it’s pretty easy to mistake the Italian words for “tonic” and “toilet.” So, when Schweppes unveiled their product to Italy’s thirsty masses, they inadvertently offered them all a tall glass of toilet water. Despite getting the thumbs up from millions of the country’s canines, the human residents politely declined. Having thoroughly humiliated themselves, the company cut their losses and moved on to new, more well researched—and significantly less nauseating—campaigns.

I dcan see where a mistake like that could mess up a good ad alright. Guess that some of our brand names just don't translate very well in some languages.

Coffee out on the patio this morning, where it's hot and humid.