Mxsmanic wrote:
David Maynard writes:


Well, that's a lot of Bull


The company has tried to make the best of its name in English ads,
often with slogans along the lines of what you give above, but it
hasn't been very successful. Bull doesn't mean anything in French, so
it's not a problem in France, but it's a problem in English-speaking
countries. It was just bad luck that one of the original founders had
a Norwegian name that by some weird coincidence happened to look just
like an English word (Bull doesn't look very Norwegian to me, but
maybe it is [?]).


Interesting. Frankly, I wouldn't have though it a all *that* much of a
problem because 'Bull' can be more/different than the implication we've
been using. It's certainly not as bad as some of the other name/language
foopaa's I've heard about, like the Ford Pinto. Turned out Pinto meant
something akin to 'small male genitalia' in Brazil. I mean, that's not even
a seller for females. Not to be outdone, Chevrolet introduced the "Nova" to
South America only to discover it translated to "it won't go." Just what
the world needs, a car that won't go.

This one is one of my special favorites. One drug company decided to avoid
all possible language mistakes in marketing to the United Arab Emirates by
using just pictures. First one shows a person ill. Next one taking the
medication. Next one all well and cured.

Unfortunately, Arab world people read left to right.

Gerber solved the 'which way' problem, just in case, when marketing to
Africa by using only one pictu the famous Gerber Baby on the label.
Except, in Africa companies generally put a picture of what's inside
because most people there can't read. Give's "baby food" a whole new
meaning, don't it?

Gawd, it's going to take me hours to stop laughing.