Chevy Nova Award > > > > > ----------------- > > > > > These are the nominees for the Chevy Nova Award. This is > > > > > given out in honor of the GM's fiasco in trying to market > > > > > this car in Central and South America. "No va" means, of > > > > > course, in Spanish, "it doesn't go". > > > > > > > > > > 1. The Dairy Association's huge success with the campaign > > > > > "Got Milk?" prompted them to expand advertising to Mexico. > > > > > It was soon brought to their attention the Spanish translation > > > > > read "Are you lactating?" > > > > > > > > > > 2. Coors put its slogan, "Turn It Loose," into Spanish, where > > > > > it was read as "Suffer From Diarrhea." > > > > > > > > > > 3. Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux used the > > > > > following in an American campaign: "Nothing sucks like an > > > > > Electrolux." > > > > > > > > > > 4. Clairol introduced the "Mist Stick," a curling iron, into > > > > > Germany only to find out that "mist" is slang for manure. Not > > > > > too many people had use for the "Manure Stick." > > > > > > > > > > 5. When Gerber started selling baby food in Africa, they used > > > > > the same packaging as in the US, with the smiling baby on the > > > > > label. Later they learned that in Africa, companies routinely > > > > > put pictures on the labels of what's inside, since many people > > > > > can't read. > > > > > > > > > > 6. Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France called Cue, the > > > > > name of a notorious porno magazine. > > > > > > > > > > 7. 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" (el Papa), the shirts read "I Saw the Potato" > > > > > (la papa). > > > > > > > > > > 8. Pepsi's "Come Alive With the Pepsi Generation" translated > > > > > into "Pepsi Brings Your Ancestors Back From the Grave" in > > > > > Chinese. > > > > > > > > > > 9. The Coca-Cola name in China was first read as "Kekoukela", > > > > > meaning "Bite the wax tadpole" or "female horse stuffed with > > > > > wax", depending on the dialect. Coke then researched 40,000 > > > > > characters to find a phonetic equivalent "kokou kole", > > > > > translating into "happiness in the mouth." > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > 10. Frank Perdue's chicken slogan, "It takes a strong man to > > > > > make a tender chicken" was translated into Spanish as "it > > > > > takes an aroused man to make a chicken affectionate." > > > > > > > > > > 11. When Parker Pen marketed a ball-point pen in Mexico, its > > > > > ads were supposed to have read, "It won't leak in your pocket > > > > > and embarrass you." > > > > > The company thought that the word "embarazar" (to impregnate) > > > > > meant to embarrass, so the ad read: "It won't leak in your > > > > > pocket and make you pregnant!" > > > > > > > > > > 12. When American Airlines wanted to advertise its new > > > > > leather first class seats in the Mexican market, it translated > > > > > its "Fly In Leather" campaign literally, which meant "Fly > > > > > Naked" (vuela en cuero) in Spanish! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Ron > > > > > >