Most of them are due to ‘Lost in Translation’ syndrome. Others didn’t predict how it would sound out loud, or did not keep pace with development of the language. Generally speaking anything with Dick in it doesn’t seem to go down well….
Larger companies now have checks in place to ensure that brand names do not cause offence in other languages but gems such as these slip through all the time…
My favourite is:
In August 2007, the German electronics manufacturer TrekStor tried to capitalize on the Apple iPod phenomenon with their own MP3 player. But what to name it? They knew they had to get the “i” in front of whatever word they decided on, to bring the iPod to mind. How about “beat” to signify all of the phat beats the customers will play on it? And it’s black. Thus,
i.Beat.blaxx.
I kid you not…..
Megaflicks chose a bad font…
