We have to pay attention to the way we are communicating – what we say may not be what is heard.

CULTURAL NOVA AWARDS

Anyone who has tried to accomplish cross-cultural communication understands how challenging, frustrating, and at times humorous that can be. Following are nominees for the Chevy Nova Award. This is given out in honor of the General Motors fiasco in trying to market this car in Central and South America. In Spanish, “Il no va” means “It doesn’t go.”

Coors put its slogan “Turn It Loose” into Spanish, where it was read as “Suffer from Diarrhea.”

Got milk? Which, when translated literally in Mexico, communicated – “are you able to breast-feed your baby?”

When Gerber started selling baby food in Africa, they used the same packaging as in America, with the smiling baby on the label. Later they learned that in Africa, companies routinely put pictures of what’s inside on the labels, since many people can’t read.

An American T-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the Spanish market that promoted the Pope’s visit. Instead of “I saw the Pope” (el Papa), the shirts read, “I Saw the Potato” (la papa).

When American Airlines wanted to advertise its new leather first-class seats in the Mexican market, it translated its “Fly in Leather” campaign literally (vuela en cuero), which meant “Fly Naked” in Spanish!

(Did the promotion work?)

Appel and Nelson, How to Change Your Church, p. 269