The “Lost in translation” brands saga continues with new names and their unusual translation in another countries. Thе language range this time goes beyond Spanish speaking countries through West Africa, Germany, and… Germany. But exotic things first.

Siri

Have you ever herd of Ghana? It’s a country located in West Africa. And the name we’re about to discuss is Apple’s voice service Siri and its Ghanaian translation. The Ghanaian “siri” mean penis. Clearly Ghana is not the top priority for Apple’s marketing and now the rest of the world can tell the story about it.

Clairol “Mist Stick”

The women who buy things like expensive cosmetics, perfumes and hair curlers usually love everything that is  shiny and pretty. This is why a special attention should be given to the clairol “Mist Stick”. The German translation of the name means “dung”. And now let’s imagine how many women in Germany would like to spread dung in their hairs? None. The bad news for the guys from P&G were that the brand failed.  Probably this particular failure made them in a way more cautious in the future naming for their products.

Knorr Pota

If you wonder how to wow your Spaniard friends with a question whose answer they won’t know, then you may try with “What’s the name of the Japanese soup that will never be distributed in Spain?”. The answer is Knorr Pota and putting that name in one sentence with “soup” would take any Spanish speaking guy aback.

Puffs

The US residents know the brand “Puffs” as an energising sugar cereal. The whole marketing of the brand is great. But Germany has different opinion about that. Why? Because if you say “ein puff bitte!”, then a native German would think that you’re asking about a… brothel. But hey, what’s the big deal? In both ways you’re looking for new energy, right? 

The wrong naming could lead to brand failure. The example with “Mist Sticks” proves that. This is the reason why it is important for you to be careful when you choose a name for your product. And if you can’t be cautious, then you have to ask professional to do the task, because let’s say it this way: who buys a new car without an insurance?