‘Tis the season to be jolly – and what better way to do that than by seeking out some of the best festive translation fails from around the world?
The team here at Bubbles has scoured the internet for the best examples of festive translation fails. We hope our collection will get you in the mood for some Christmas silliness.
Obviously not all countries celebrate Christmas, but even those that don’t still make and sell items for the countries that do. The translation fails that come about as a result remind us all that understanding culture is vital if we’re to avoid making total fools of ourselves when exporting items overseas.
- Creepy Santa
This ‘inflatable elderly’ Santa was made in China. If your child needs a slightly creepy ‘partner’, you know what to buy this Christmas!
- Space warts?
If you’re looking for the perfect gift for the Star Wars fan in your life, this probably isn’t it!
- Wedding bells
Congratulations on your wedding. We hope you and Christmas will be very happy together.
- Are you not throlled?
We love this Japanese Christmas sign. We’re really ‘throlled’ it’s Christmas!
- Creepy Santa: The Return
Creepy Santa is back for his second appearance in our list. Eeeek. Santa is suddenly completely terrifying, thanks to this Chinese sign. The snowman looks pretty creepy too!
- Holy Jusus
This tree decoration really tries to cover all the Christmas bases. Tries, but fails.
- Talking turkey
Maybe don’t serve this up for Christmas lunch. I prefer my ‘smorked’ turkey on Boxing Day.
- The Shining
Let’s all gather round and listen to the ‘shining story’ of Christmas – have you seen The Shining? It’s hardly a family favourite!
- Snowman calling
If it’s so eager to contact me, I’m going to ask it for a White Christmas this year!
- Are you having fun yet?
It is enjoyed very much, thank you for asking.
We hope you found our list amusing. As language translation service providers, we like having a chuckle at these translation fails as much as anyone, but there is a more serious reason for highlighting these slip ups.
If you’re considering expanding overseas, it’s worth noting how easy it is to make a tiny translation mistake that results in your brand becoming a laughing stock.
We find fails from Japan and China hilarious, but how do you think the locals there would find our clumsy attempts to market our products in Japanese, Cantonese or Mandarin? Translating words, concepts, brands and entire marketing campaigns is complex and challenging, but we can help to ensure you don’t become the butt of the joke in your new overseas market.
Contact Bubbles today to discuss your festive marketing plans.