I always wonder why these big companies with tons of resources just don’t ask a native speaker if something sounds wonky before they push these things out.
Not too difficult to pay somebody $50 to read three words of copy. They’re happy for the extra spending cash, and you avoid a big PR snafu.
I thought the same thing: Is this bullshit, like that old Chevy Nova story?
Can you really hold Maori up the same “Obese” standards as European people?
They’re large people, not just in body fat but physical stature as well.
It’s kinda part of their genetic make up.
Dwayne Johnson…at 6’4 is considered “obese” at 260 pounds (which I think he’s a bit over that just in charisma) . I mean if your charts say “The Rock” is obese…you need a better chart.
https://www.calculateconvert.com/calculators/health/bmi.php?pounds=260&foot=6&inch=4
Even when they do hire native speakers, it can still backfire in amusing ways:
I’m loving the pronunciation in that clip.
/a
I guess I can understand it in some way (other people’s languages are hard) but I do struggle when someone into the history of a people won’t make an effort at all.
Ahh I see what you mean by “not what you would call woke” (savages etc)
But it is interesting history.
Coca-Cola’s ad campaigns have gone terribly wrong even when in plain english:
… more and more it’s like big corporations are just some sort of burgeoning alien quasi-intelligence thrashing around trying to figure out human culture and randomly failing hilariously.
Its an old story but this Australian woman was filling out a form in the US and casually asked for a rubber. She should have asked for an eraser.
This advertising campaign also wouldn’t have worked in the UK because everyone would assume that it was just too orangey for crows.
accurate.
Durex / Sellotape
Haven’t seen him around lately. Is @Death still with us?
Hmm, really can’t fault them on accuracy.
I’ve occasionally seen Death on Kinja comment sites, but I haven’t seen them here for a while.
That’s universal.
Truth.
Happened to my mother. She taught second grade, and there was a student who moved from Australia (or maybe UK, dunno) and so his mom brought him in to meet my mom. At the end she asked the boy if he had any questions, and he asked, “will I be needing any rubbers?”
I’ve often wondered about the Mitsubishi Pajero in Spanish speaking countries though… Because while “Nova” is not “rota”, a pajero is a wanker is a wanker…
So, truth in advertising?
Wow!
Truth in advertising. Good for you Come!
