Illustration of person relaxing on phone
Illustration of person relaxing on phone

Fabio Schmuki

Insights

June 19, 2017

Slogans don't need translation, they need a transcreation


Headlines, taglines, slogans: some elements of a translation require special attention. Why? Supertext explains it all.

Bob the Builder vs. Yakuza


Marketing a product is always a challenge – and when the market in question is new to you, things become even more complex. New linguistic and cultural regions make new demands on a product.


Bob the Builder, for example, had to have his hands adapted for the Japanese market: the original character had only four fingers, which has unfortunate connotations in a country where yakuza members typically cut off their little fingers to demonstrate loyalty or do penance.


Such details may seem minor, but getting them wrong can put your product at a disadvantage in the new market, damage your business’s image and affect your profits.


What is a transcreation?


Translation is the first step to going global. Content is accurately transferred into the target language and aligned with the relevant cultural conventions. When it comes to slogans or campaigns, however, it’s time to bring out the linguistic big guns: a transcreation evokes the same emotions and implications in the target language as in the original. These are key to preserving a brand’s image – and ensuring success.


After all, even a correct translation may not get the desired message across. In the 1970s, the US airline Braniff advertised using the slogan “Fly in Leather”, emphasizing its leather seats and the associated top-quality service. The slogan was correctly translated, but Spanish speakers were bewildered by “Vuela en cuero”, which didn’t imply high-class service so much as flying naked.


Why you don’t notice a good transcreation


The internet offers countless examples of bad translations, but almost none of successful transcreations. Why? Like a good servant, a good transcreation does its job – arousing emotions, conveying meaning and strengthening a brand – without standing out. It may look easy, but getting it right takes hard work.


Experts in the original and target cultures rack their brains to create slogans that fit the new context like a (five-fingered) glove. That’s no mean feat. And it’s much better than flying blind – or naked – in the target culture. So if you need a transcreation, leave it to the experts at Supertext.


Cover image via Unsplash

More posts
Supertext’s secure language AI now available in 28 languages
News

Supertext’s secure language AI now available in 28 languages

July 23, 2025


Angela Lanza-Mariani