12.16
I’m a firm believer in using available online tools to supplement and expedite the creation of master lists for naming projects. Here’s one that’s existed for awhile, but it only recently occurred to me to use it this way.
Google Translate has a “detect language” feature that you could theoretically use to do a quick and dirty linguistic check. Linguistic checks are what (hopefully) prevent tragic naming blunders, like Mitsubishi’s Pajero SUV, which is apparently “a commonly used Spanish term for ‘wanker,’” or the apocryphal (as in not true) story of Chevy’s Nova being interpreted as “will not go” in Spanish. Using Google Translate is not at all a safe replacement for the real deal, but it might help out in those situations where you’re working on something and think, “this sounds like it probably means something in…some language.”
Three quick examples:
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09.13
The Chinese name for Tylenol is “泰诺,” pronounced “TàiNuò.” I am told by my naming colleagues that the trend in Chinese naming (for Western products and companies that already have brand names) is toward phonetic, rather than semantic, similarity. Given some of the names I’ve heard that claim to achieve phonetic resemblance, “TàiNuò” sounds remarkably similar to me—a bit like someone trying to say “Tylenol” after getting some teeth knocked out (at which point a painkiller would be welcome, I’m sure).
Of course, the holy grail of Chinese (re)naming is
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07.14
Apparently I’m not the first to comment on this, but on a recent trip back to the US I saw t-shirts in Walmart sporting the slogan “Faded Glory.” I’m assuming they’re part of the Walmart store brand of the same name, but to be clear, these shirts actually had “Faded Glory” written on the front along with a ‘distressed’ American flag image. There were matching flip flops.
We thought it might be funny to buy some overtly Go USA gear as gag-gifts for friends in China, but didn’t end up buying (and I can’t find a picture of the shirts online). Only later did we get to thinking about the meaning of that slogan, especially when paired with a beat-up looking US flag…did no one at Walmart realize what the shirt conveys when taken literally? Kind of a depressing message to send out to the masses.
Maybe I wouldn’t have thought as much of it if I wasn’t working outside the US, seeing the country a little more from an outsider’s perspective. My first week in Shanghai, I had a cab driver ask where I was from, and upon learning that I was American he excitedly made a hand motion that resembled something going up and up, then exploding. No idea what he meant (and couldn’t communicate well enough to understand), but I like to pretend he was talking about the Dow, or our economy in general.
Probably not, but I couldn’t help think of that cab driver when I saw the Faded Glory shirts.
[Thanks to Ash for pointing this out.]
06.27
While visiting the US I stopped by Take a Bao, a new concept installed in the food court at Century City’s Westfield Mall. Despite feeling a bit funny about traveling all the way to LA for a Chinese-inspired lunch, I was drawn in by my fascination with fusion food, Take a Bao’s visual identity work, and the fact that I love char siu bao.
The idea for the place seems pretty straightforward. In their own words,
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06.15
Just something that’s been on my mind lately. Thought I’d throw together a mock menu. Click for a full-size version. If you open this restaurant, please get in touch.
06.02
Integrating Chinese and non-Chinese names in logo design
[Originally published on BrandSource: Labbrand's Blog of Branding Insights. Please visit that site to comment.]
Many brands operating in China—both foreign and domestic—choose to use two names to represent themselves to Chinese customers: one composed of Chinese characters and another that is alphabet-based, such as an English name. Coca-Cola, for example, does business in China with its American name as well as “可口可乐.” Of course, some brands opt to use just one name in either English or Chinese, but brands with both face the unique visual identity challenge of having separate logos for each or incorporating the two names into one, simple logo design.
The Options
After developing Chinese and alphabet-based names—both significant undertakings in their own right—companies operating in China must choose whether to create a “blended” logo—one that includes both names—and then make additional decisions about how and when to use their logo or logos. These decisions can be depicted as a decision tree.
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