Five Terrible (Hilarious) International Branding Flubs

It’s shockingly common for companies to commit huge branding flubs when they expand into international markets. Most often, branding flubs are the result of something being lost in translation. Companies try to take their brand and translate it literally into another language. Or, they are simply working with a language that they don’t understand.

Mistakes happen. Sometimes, the slogan or another asset will simply come off as clunky and strange. Other times, the results can be epic (and often hilarious) failures. Let’s dig into some of the biggest and most hilarious branding flubs of all time.

1. Who Would Want to Fly Naked?

Braniff International wanted to translate its “fly in leather” slogan to Spanish. Braniff was trying to show how luxurious its flights were.

Problem is, the direct translation to in leather is “en cuero.” This saying, in turn, is very similar to “en cueros”, which means naked. And when these two sayings are spoken, they sound identical. So when Braniff put out ads, many Spanish speaking people though the company wanted you to fly naked! 

2. Turns Out Coors Didn’t Want to “Turn it Loose” in Spanish

One of Coors more popular slogans has been “turn it loose”. This slogan embodies the idea of partying and relaxing. When people drink beer, they often want to have a good time. Seems fair right?

Of course, Coors earned its way onto our biggest branding flubs list for a reason. When Coors launched efforts to reach out to Spanish-speaking people, they did a direct translation. Problem is, “turn it loose” in Spanish is slang for diarrhoea. 

3. Gerber Sold “Made From Baby” Puree In Africa

In Ethiopia and other countries with lower literacy rates, it is common for companies to put pictures of what’s inside on the label. This way, even people who can’t read know what they are buying.

This helps explain why Gerber set off a firestorm when they sold baby food with babies on the label. Some people thought the baby food was made from actual babies! Obviously, this was a communications mistake, but it did generate a lot of hysteria. 

4. Mercedes-Benz and the Rush to Death

Mercedes-Benz opted to enter the Chinese market with the brand name Bensi. Only problem is, that means “rush to die” locally. Obviously, for a car brand, “rush to die” isn’t exactly a good brand or slogan choice. Mercedes-Benz is one of the largest car companies in the world, and yet even they can make simple “lost in translation” mistakes!

5. Adult Rated Toothpaste

Colgate, a major international home health company, launched a toothpaste in France called “Cue.” Problem is, Cue was already a widely known name in France. And it was associated with an adult magazine.

This is one of the more understandable branding flubs. Most likely, Colgate’s branding experts weren’t shopping in the adult sections at stores. Still, it shows you how dangerous international branding can be.

Conclusion: International Branding is Tricky

International branding can be a bit of a mine field. It is so easy for things to get lost in translation. Even massive companies with huge staffs make mistakes. For smaller companies, it’s easy to make a mistake and never even realize it. Branding flubs are a very real threat.

Luckily, there are options. You can have professionals review your work and conduct an audit in your target countries to ensure that nothing is being lost in translation. This will help you protect your brand and company from unintentional mistakes.