20 Examples of Funny Translation Fails in Advertising

Global brands operate internationally. Most brands coordinate their communication with the language of the countries in which they operate. As you’ll soon see, it’s quite important to check that your name, logo, campaigns and tagline translate well into other languages. Brands usually delegate or outsource translations, but this does not always go according to plan. We have selected some hilarious translation fails in advertising:

20 Funny Translation Fails in Advertising

1. KFC

China translated “Finger Licking Good” (KFC) into a somewhat cannibalistic message.

2. Ford

Ford made the mistake of not translating the name of the Ford Pinto in Brazil. Pinto is the Brazilian Portuguese word for “small genitals”.

3. Mitsubishi

Mitsubishi failed as well in not translating their product name by introducing the Pajero to Europe. Pajero means “wanker” in Spanish. (If you speak American English and don’t know what that means, ask your friends from the UK, or ask Ted Lasso).

4. IKEA

IKEA introduced the “Fartfull workbench”. Although fartfull means “full speed” in Swedish, in the United Kingdom, the product was received with chuckles.

5. Nokia

Nokia may not be the creme de la creme anymore when it comes to mobile phones, but back in the day their launch of the ‘Lumia’ phone line made quite the impression in Spanish-speaking countries. Lumia can be translated to prostitute in Spanish.

6. Parker Pen

When Parker Pen expanded to Mexico, they translated their slogan for the Spanish-speaking part of Mexico. “Embarrass” and “embaraza” do sound and look similar, therefore it was probably assumed that these words have the same meaning. However, “embaraza” means “impregnate” in Spanish. “It won’t leak in your pocket and embarrass you” was translated to “It won’t leak in your pocket and impregnate you”.

7. Coors

American beer maker Coors discovered that slang doesn’t always translate well. When launching its “Turn it loose” campaign in Spain, it appears executives forgot to ensure the translation would resonate with consumers. When translated into Spanish, the tagline used an expression that’s commonly interpreted as “suffer from diarrhea.” While the campaign got a lot of attention, it wasn’t the kind of attention Coors wanted.

8. Pepsodent

Pepsodent advertised its toothpaste in a particular area in Southeast Asia by highlighting the fact that it ‘whitens your teeth.’ The campaign failed because the locals chew betel nuts to blacken their teeth, since black teeth are considered the goal. Perhaps the company should have played the ‘health benefit’ card.

9. Paxam

Paxam is an Iranian company selling a bunch of different consumer goods. One that didn’t go over so well in the English-speaking parts of the world was their laundry soap. In Farsi, they call it ‘snow’ in their marketing campaigns, but an incorrect translation had the labels reading ‘barf.’ Pass!

10. American Dairy Association

While the famous “Got Milk?” campaign was remarkably successful among English speakers in the States, Spanish-speaking people wondered why the American Dairy Association would translate their slogan to “Are you lactating?”

11. Gazprom

The Russian company Gazprom created a joint venture with Nigeria’s state oil company and named the company “Nigaz”.

12. General Motors

When General Motors introduced the Chevy Nova in South America, the company was unaware that the Spanish expression “No Va” means “It won’t go”.

13. Mazda

The Spanish word “puta” means prostitute. This didn’t stop Mazda though from launching the “Laputa” minivan, claiming in the ads that “we have designed Laputa to deliver maximum utility in a minimum space while providing a smooth, comfortable ride” and “a lightweight, impact-absorbing body.”

14. Honda

The Honda Jazz “Fitta” kept is name until someone within Honda discovered that “fitta” is a vulgar word that refers to a woman’s genitals in Swedish. The slogan-that-never-was read ‘The all-new Fitta, small on the outside, big on the inside.’

15. Mc Donald’s

Mc Donald’s Big Mac was initially supposed to be launched as “Gros Mec”, which means “big pimp”.

16. Hunt-Wesson Foods

Hunt-Wesson Foods messed up when it introduced its baked beans in French Canada as “Gros Jos” without realizing it was local slang for “big breasts”. It didn’t hurt sales though.

17. Coca-Cola

The Coca-Cola name in China was first read as “Kekoukela”, which means “Bite the wax tadpole” or “female horse stuffed with wax” depending on the dialect. Coke then tried to find a phonetic equivalent, eventually settling on “kokou kole”, which translates as “happiness in the mouth”.

18. Colgate

Colgate launched a toothpaste in France named “Cue” without realizing that it’s also the name of a French pornographic magazine.

19. Mercedes-Benz

Mercedes-Benz entered the Chinese market under the brand name “Bensi,” which means “rush to die.”

20. American Airlines

To advertise their leather seats, American Airlines used the slogan “Fly in Leather”, which translated in Spanish for the market in Mexico as “Fly naked”.

Translation Fails in Advertising: How to Manage Them

If you wish to prevent translation errors, it is best to leave it in the hands of a trained professional. If you prefer to manage different languages internally, you can outsource the translations to a local office. This way, you prevent translation errors as well as contextual errors. While translating every small bit can seem like a hassle, it can pay off big time.

Do you want to store all your brand elements in one place? Lytho helps you streamline workflows and harmonize all brand collateral under a single, uniform platform. Feel free to reach out to us by scheduling a demo and learning how our creative solutions can boost the effectiveness of your creative projects. We look forward to speaking with you!