Month: October 2010

Most companies feel that by using the literal translation of what they said in English, their adds will be successful in countries not dominated by English speakers. Many companies over the years have managed to misuse translators and have caused themselves some pretty intense ridicule.

This site brings to mind fifteen of these mishaps. It’s quite surprising to see that companies such as KFC, Coca-Cola and GM are among the ones listed, seeing as they are all multi-billion dollar corporations. You’d expect with all their money that they’d be able to hire a competent translator.

Here’s a sample:

1)GM attempted to sell their Chevy Nova’s in South America, but couldn’t figure out why their sales didn’t meet expectations. The answer: In Spanish, “Nova” means “it won’t go”. Try selling a car thats name says it doesn’t work ANYWHERE and you won’t have sales.

The fact that these companies have even made such blunders leads me to wonder: Is it really so hard to show your ad to a few people from the market you are releasing it in and see how they respond and what happens to those responsible for ads that have translated in a…. less than enthralling way?

Is Axe’s new shower tool a perfect substitute for loofahs that we have seen for decades?

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Yes.

So how has it managed to become something that almost every man, and most women, are capable of recognizing? How has it become a product that men aren’t afraid of having others know they use? Because of the design and how it has been marketed.

Loofahs have predominantly been ‘girly’ colors, which have left men out of the loop for fear of being ridiculed for having one in their shower. Axe has recognized this and changed the design every so slightly. It now is almost completely black, with either a deep red or darker blue. This right away makes it more ‘manly’ and acceptable by men all over.

Simply changing a products color does not necessairly its appeal. Axe has taken it to another level. With ads like https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bevJr3Ra84Q, they have managed to created a social acceptance of the product for men through comedy. In this video they refer to the black loofah as a “ball detailer” and go on to use sexual innuendos to demonstrate how it cleans a mans genitals. The amount of innuendos is off the charts. I wasn’t able to count them since they came up left right and center.

The ads do work, even if some people are only buying the detailer as a joke for someone else, it still gives them sales. Yes, Axe has created a ton of buzz for their product, but deep down we all know that it is just a black loofah.