Gazprom accused of branding fail over Nigerian joint venture 'Nigaz'
LONDON - The perils of international branding have once again been highlighted with the news of Russian gas giant Gazprom's new joint venture with Nigerian firm NNPC -- to be called Nigaz.
While the origin of the name is easily explained -- a conjunction of the words "Nigeria" and "gaz" -- English-speakers seeing the word written down find the brand name has rather different connotations.
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Incredulous Twitterers quickly spread the story around, dubbing it a branding fail and prompting a number to suggest Nigaz should adopt a strapline along the lines of "gas with attitude".
It is not the first time that an attempt at creating an international brand name has failed. Mitsubishi was forced to change the name of its SUV model the Pajero in Spain, where the term means 'wanker'. Starbucks opted to stick with the term 'latte' when it launched in Germany, to the amusement of locals. While the word means 'milk' in Italian, in German it is a slang term for 'erection'.
A simple translation error meant that a Parker Pen ad run in Mexico ended up promising consumers that it would not "leak in your pocket and make you pregnant", which is at least a more honest promise than Pepsi's "come alive with the Pepsi generation" slogan, which famously ended up as "Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the dead" in Taiwan.
Chinese translations are fraught with difficulties -- Kentucky Fried Chicken's "finger lickin' good" managed to come out as "eat your fingers off". While closer to home, Orange's "the future's bright, the future's Orange" did not go down well with Catholics in Northern Ireland, for whom the term "orange" is most closely associated with Protestantism.
Nigaz will build refineries, pipelines and gas power stations in Nigeria.
Tags
- Africa |
- NNPC |
- lost in translation |
- Marketing |
- Africa / Middle East |
- Public Relations |
- Europe |
- Nigeria |
- branding fail |
- Russia |
- Gazprom |
- Business Industrial
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Comments
NICHOLAS BOWMAN - 29/06/2009
Excellent start to a new week - let's hope there's many more to come over the summer
Simon Harris - 29/06/2009
You could not make this kind of thing up...
Gellan Watt - 29/06/2009
How does this happen in 2009? Is it April 1st?
James Walters - 29/06/2009
You'd think with all those gangsters in Russia they'd know better. Straight out of Compton'ski.
Hal Clarke - 29/06/2009
How do you think they greet each other in the board room: "Yo what's up Nigaz..."
Tom Atkins - 29/06/2009
Hilarious. This is so much better than the Tango story last week \(Tango with Added Tango). Those Russian MFs.
CultureShocks - 29/06/2009
A classic already! A few of the above stories are however often repeated urban myths, as correctly described in Brand Republic by Mark Ritson "Ikea and the false name check". For real and recent culture shocks in advertising, check out my blog http://www.textappealblog.com. Twitter: CultureShocks.
Neal Kennedy - 29/06/2009
Sorry to be a skunk at the picnic, but didn't you already debunk the Latin America-Chevy Nova story in this 11-March-2008 Mark Ritson article? http://www.brandrepublic.com/News/790062/Mark-Ritson-branding-IKEA-false-name-check/
Gordon Macmillan - 30/06/2009
Thanks Neal/Culture Shocks we've addressed this Pinto and Nova issue.
Paul McShane - 30/06/2009
Incredible. But not surprising; international translation is never easy. I've always found the Starbucks story particularly amusing, with the idea of everyday Germans asking the coffee attendant for a stiffy!
Laura Noble - 30/06/2009
Who is coming up with this crap? Who is signing it off? What are they paying? It would be funny if it didn't impact on the marketing industry as a bunch of narrowminded idiots, and especially if this was a publicity stunt - even more ridiculous.
CultureShocks - 01/07/2009
For most international brands, this would be catastrophic in terms of reputation and cost. However this is the world's biggest energy company, owned by the Russian state. I'm not sure Vladimir will be losing much sleep.
Derek Mullings - 04/07/2009
They must be crackers to choose a name like that.
Martin New - 06/07/2009
I don't think it's a publicity stunt... it's more a case of international ignorance, in a similar vein to Beyonce naming her debut album 'B-Day'... which still makes me smile. What an idiot! :)