Translation Mix-Translation Mix-UpsUpsNovaNova in Spanish means

Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux used the following in an American campaign:

The Dairy Association’s huge success with the campaign““Got Milk?”Got Milk?” prompted them to expand advertisingto Mexico. It was soon brought to their attentionthe Spanish translation read, Coors put its slogan, “Turn It Loose,”“Turn It Loose,” into Spanish, where it was read as

1970 Nova1970 Nova

““Are you lactating”Are you lactating”

““Suffer from diarrhea”Suffer from diarrhea”

““It Want go.” [no va]It Want go.” [no va]

““Nothing sucks like an Electrolux.”Nothing sucks like an Electrolux.”

Clairol introduced the “Mist Stick,”“Mist Stick,”a curling iron, into Germany only to find out that “mist”“mist” is slang formanuremanure. Not too many people had use for the

PuffsPuffs tissue introduced its product into GermanyGermany only to find out that puffs is a German colloquial term for

““Manure Stick.”Manure Stick.”

““whorehouse.”whorehouse.”

In EnglandEngland, puffspuffs was a derogatory term for homosexual.homosexual.

When GerberGerber started selling baby food in Africa, they used the same packaging as in the U.S., with the smiling babysmiling baby on the label. Later they learned that in Africa, companies put pictures pictures on theon the labels labels of of what’s what’s insideinside, since most can’t read. Also GerberGerber is the French word for vomitingvomiting.

Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France calledCueCue, the name of a notorious porno magazineporno magazine.

An American T-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the Spanish market which promoted the Pope’s visit. Instead of “I saw the Pope”“I saw the Pope” (el Papael Papa), the shirts read,

Pepsi’s “Come Alive. You’re “Come Alive. You’re in thein the Pepsi Generation” Pepsi Generation” translated into Chinese as:

““I saw the potato” I saw the potato” ((la papala papa).).

““Pepsi Brings Your Ancestors Back from the Grave.”Pepsi Brings Your Ancestors Back from the Grave.”

The Coca-Cola name in China was first read as ““Kekekenla,” Kekekenla,” meaning “Bite the “Bite the wax tadpole,”wax tadpole,” or ““female horse stuffed with wax,”female horse stuffed with wax,” depending on the dialect. Coke then researched 40,000 characters to find a phonetic equivalent “kokou kole,”“kokou kole,” translating into “happiness in the mouth.”“happiness in the mouth.”

Frank Perdue’s chicken slogan, “It takes a strong “It takes a strong man to make a tender chicken”man to make a tender chicken” was translated into Spanish as:

““It takes an aroused man to make a chicken affectionate.” It takes an aroused man to make a chicken affectionate.”

When American Airlines wanted to advertise its new leather first class seats in the Mexican market, it translated its “Fly in Leather”“Fly in Leather” campaign literally, which meant

When Parker Pen marketed a ball-point pen in Mexico,its ads were supposed to have read, “It won’t leak “It won’t leak in your pocket and embarrass you.”in your pocket and embarrass you.” The company thought that the word “embarazar”“embarazar” (to impregnateto impregnate) meant to embarrassembarrass, so the ad read:

““Fly Naked” Fly Naked” (vuela en cuero) in Spanish.

““IIt t won’t leakwon’t leak in in your pocket your pocket and and make you pregnant.”make you pregnant.”

In Mexico, FrescaFresca is a term for LesbianLesbian. Jokes abounded but sales weren't hurt.

KFC’s “Finger licking good”“Finger licking good” came off in Chinese as:

““Eat your fingers off.”Eat your fingers off.”

In ItalyItaly, a campaign for "Schweppes Tonic Water""Schweppes Tonic Water" translated the name into the much less thirst quenching:

Ford introduced the Pinto in BrazilPinto in Brazil. After watching sales go nowhere, the company learned that "Pinto" is Brazilian slang for "tiny male genitals.""tiny male genitals." Ford pried the nameplates off all of the cars & substituted them with "Corcel""Corcel" which means horse.

““Schweppes Toilet WaterSchweppes Toilet Water.”.”