Source: Jalopnik.com
In the fifties and sixties, there was a Swedish car magazine named “Fart.” “Fart” is a Swedish word meaning “speed.” Although this likely caused no problem in the magazine’s home country, rumors abound that this was quite embarrassing when the writers would travel to international car and racing events.
Fifty years later, another Swedish company, IKEA, made a more obvious blunder when trying to sell a desk named “Fartfull” in North American stores.
Source: IKEA.com
[But let's still give credit to IKEA.com for once being considered "the best global retail website."]
Sometimes a lack of translation can leave companies looking distasteful, much like it did in the case of the Japanese PPPhone (pronounced “pee pee phone”).
Contact GGI before you decide on an English product name, and with an international brand check we can help you determine whether or not your brand will be safe when you eventually decide to enter international markets.
