Localisation Faux Pas (Archive)

February 2005

Cultural confusion and unfortunate translations

China is sensitive to Japanese economic overtures due to its conflict with them during the war. However, the growing economy in China has led Japan to introduce the Toyota Predo land cruiser sport-utility vehicle, to the car-hungry Chinese market. They unfortunately did not do much market research since the name sounds a lot like badao, which also means "to rule by force" or "overbearing." The ads also showed stone lions (traditional symbol of Chinese power) saluting and bowing to the Prado, which resulted in the Japanese formally apologizing for the 30 magazine and news ads.

In Italy, a campaign for Schweppes Tonic Water translated the name into "Schweppes Toilet Water.

Poultry Magnate Frank Perdue's slogan, "It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken," was remarkably mistranslated into Spanish. A picture of Perdue with one os his birds appeared on billboards all over Mexico with the caption, "It takes a man to make a chicken aroused."