UNCONVENTIONAL WORLD RECORDS

Here are some examples of classic advert campaigns gone wrong.

Product: Clairol Mist Stick
What is it: curling iron
Failed where: Germany
Why: “Mist” is German slang for “manure” or “excrement”. Germans didn’t want to be seen using a “shit stick”

Product: Rolls-Royce Silver Mist
What is it: luxury car
Failed where: Germany
Why: well, same reason as above

Product: Parker pens
Failed where: Latin America
Why: the slogan “it won’t leak in your pocket and embarrass you”, translated into Spanish could read “it won’t leak in your pocket and make you pregnant.”

Product: Electrolux vacuum cleaners. Note: Electrolux is a Scandinavian company.
Failed where: USA
Why: the slogan “nothing sucks like an Electrolux”

Product: Apple Mac computers
Failed where: everywhere
Why: The “Lemmings advert” (1985) showed PC users, following one another over a cliff like lemmings, insulting them:

…The people responsible for the ad would’ve been in big trouble, perhaps it’s time to advertise themselves to one of those sites specialising in marketing resumes…

source:

San Francisco Chronicle, 6th Feb 2005

Popularity: 1% [?]