Translation Blunders: “Fly in Leather” versus “Fly Naked”

At times, it may seem attractive to cut costs by not investing money in researching your target market and testing out your translated campaign before its release. It is important to note, however, that poor understanding of cross cultural differences when carrying out translations can have damaging consequences. What was once an award-winning, successful marketing campaign can be turned into a meaningless or offensive one when translated into Spanish. The absence of a professional Spanish translation could lead to marketing blunders that yield decreased profits and damage your company’s reputation.

An infamous marketing blunder in recent years is the American Dairy Association’s “Got Milk?” campaign translated into Spanish as, “Tienes leche.” Literally, this translates to “Are you lactating”, which both defeats the purpose of the campaign and has a rather vulgar connotation. Needless to say, this failed marketing campaign had to be revised to fit the intended audience. Another humorous example is the Spanish version of American Airlines’ tagline “Fly in Leather” to advertise its new leather first class seats. It is not surprising that its Spanish translation of “Vuela en Cuero”, literally meaning “Fly Naked”, was a complete failure.

As these examples illustrate, poor translations can mean the difference between an effective marketing campaign and a complete failure. When translating a campaign, it is crucial to have cultural awareness and carry out the necessary market research indispensable for a successful marketing campaign. Rather than precisely duplicating the original tagline, companies should attempt to properly communicate the general theme of the campaign. An investment in a professional Spanish translation rather than a mediocre one is the only way to ensure that marketing consumers will purchase your product or service. This in turn ensures your investment in marketing efforts will yield expected returns

By Karina Lairet