The Translation of Advertisements From Adaptation to Localization

8/3/2019 The Translation of Advertisements From Adaptation to Localization

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The globalization of economies and tradeintensification lead companies to communi-cate with consumers of different languages

and cultures.Within the framework of international mar-keting strategies, advertising plays a keyrole. It has to resolve a dilemma which canbe summarized in the following question:How can we sell a standardized product tolocal and different consumers?This study aims, on one hand, at underscor-ing some problems related to translation ofinternational advertising campaigns, and

on the other hand, at raising pressing ques-tions regarding the place and the functionof the professional translator in this specificframework.These issues will be dealt with from the per-spective of the consulting translation spe-cialist with a large expertise in advertisingadaptation. As for the reference corpus ofthis study, it consists of one thousand trans-lated ads from French into the main inter-

national languages (English, Spanish, Por-tuguese and Arabic). It was gathered over afive-year period between 1995 and 2000.

General Framework of AdvertisingLocalization

The general framework would be that ofcommunication and marketing strategiesadopted by multinational companies espe-cially French multinationals.

The debate between the upholders of globalstandardization and those of local adapta-

The Translation of Advertisements:from Adaptation to Localization

Author:Mathieu Guidere, Master in Arabic language and literature and Ph.D in Translation Studies and Applied

Linguistics from the University of Paris-Sorbonne, Lyon 2 University, Saint-Cyr Research Centre, France

tion is still open and will likely stay thatway as long as the Earth is teeming withdifferent languages and cultures. Never-

theless, the elements of this debate shouldbe defined and elucidated briefl y.International advertising consists of usingthe same strategy of communication in alltargeted countries. The advantage of thisapproach lies mainly in the economiesof scale generated because of the stand-ardization of the campaign.Numerous arguments, whether theoreti-cal or practical, were given to justify the

internationalization of some products ad-vertising campaigns.Among the most frequently given argu-ments, we name the following: The standardization of consumer be-

haviors in many countries (a tangibleevidence of the cultural homogeniza-tion).

The emergence of similar new catego-ries of consumers on the international

level (new transnational markets). The introduction of international themesand icons thanks to the television net-works and the pop music (movie starsand supermodels)

To that, one may add the relatively scarcenumbers of brilliant ideas in the field ofcommunication and thus it is easy to under-stand why companies tend, in their vast ma-jority, to this type of standardized strategy.But it is also obvious that the risks of a

forced standardization are not insignifi-cant. The relevance and the infl uence of

E-mail: E-mail: [email protected]


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the local culture are still very substantial in

numerous countries around the globe in-cluding in Western Europe. It is indeed veryrisky not to adapt communication to somelocal markets especially in countries wherethe cultural tradition is still very present.Faced with a potential failure, which canhave serious sequels financially speaking,the trend towards localization is graduallygaining ground. But what does it really en-tail in the advertising field?

Localization of international advertisingcampaigns consists of adapting the com-panys communication to the specificities ofthe local environment of the hosting coun-tries targeted by the campaign.This local environment could be divided inseveral components to which the localizingtranslator must pay careful attention:

The socio-cultural component:which includes the local particularitiesstemming from religion, mores, socialand commercial habits, rules of conductand ethical norms. In short, this compo-nent is related to the main features of thehosting culture and society.

The politico-legal component:which includes the local particularitiesstemming from the nature of the politicalsystem, the stage of opening onto the

world, the restrictions imposed on adver-tisements and the regulations related toinformation and to certain products (suchas spirits and tobacco)

The localization of advertising campaignsconsists of adapting the companys commu-nication while taking into account the above-mentioned parameters. The relevance andinfl uence of these parameters are certainly

varied according to regions and countriesbut overlooking them leads undoubtedly tothe failure of the campaign.

In this context, the translator plays a key

role in the adaptation of the communica-tion campaign. Beside his role as a trans-lator of the speech strictly speaking he must make sure that the socio-culturalrestrictions, which could be problematicin the advertising transfer, are taken intoconsideration.The issue, which is at the heart of multi-lingual communication in this globalizedera, is about managing cultural dif-

ferences between the different hostingcountries of a single advertising campaign.I shall try to explain briefl y the terms ofthe problem and the diverging points ofview of the parties involved in this processconcerning specifically the cultural issue.First of all, we have the sponsors of theads (in other words the producers ofgoods and services) who champion anoffensive approach with a very peculiarconception of culture stating the follow-ing: culture is global; it is Ameri-can and global based on internationalicons and standard messages.Then we have the point of view of com-municators/advertising executives whoconsider that communication appliesfor a particular public viewed as atarget and known as the target au-dience. For them, culture is definedas the culture of a transnational group

of consumers having the same lifestyle and similar consumption habits.And finally, we have the point of view ofthe ads translators/localizers. As linguis-tic and cultural gobetweens, translatorsare, by principle, in a mediation posi-tion that allows them to see the problemfrom the conciliatory and fl exible angleof interculturality.I shall give here a few actual examples

of the intercultural approach oftranslators within the framework ofinternational advertising. The recurrent


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question for them being: how to convey a

single message written in two different lan-guages without losing neither the spirit northe identity?The management of the other,which is what international advertising is allabout, will be a challenge for the translator/localizer at varying levels related to the differ-ent parts of the advertising message namely:the image on one hand, and the text on theother. Within the latter (the text of the ad),

one can recognize: the brand name, the slo-gan or the catch line and finally the caption.Every part of these could be a problemwhen transferring it from one language toanother. And every one refl ects a facet ofthe cultural issues.To understand the stakes of the problem,one should think in semiotic terms, that isto say that culture is embedded in linguistic,plastic, graphic and pictorial signs that con-stitute the message.For the sake of convenience, we are goingto distinguish between the advertisementsthat have been graphically adapted andthose that have been adapted textually be-fore looking into the relation between thetext and the graphics which is an essentialelement in advertising.The adaptations in content and form that weare going to see are typical examples of thecultural problem in the field of advertising.

The first example of international advertis-ing is what we can call the graphic ad-aptation. In this advertisement for theperfume Tuscany, there was a transfor-mation of the ads framework.The image background was adapted to thesocio-cultural environment of the hostingcountry. The substitution of a Mediterrane-an type street scene for an Italian typefamily scene is not insignificant. It aims at

adapting the semiotic elements of the origi-nal iconography to the imagination of the

targeted Arabic consumers and to life

scenes that are more common in Arabsocieties (the cafs and their terraces)In brief, the observed adaptations of theadvertising image can be divided in twocategories: on one hand, the adaptationof the meaning related to the backgroundin the different ads versions. On the oth-er hand, the adaptation of the relationbetween the chosen background and theproduct in question.

a) Regarding the iconography: we findthe same graphic elements in the Frenchand Arabic versions: the perfume bottle isat the bottom of the page on the right; theadvertising character (a woman) is at thecenter of the image and moving. Shesdisplaying the same smile in the two adsand the extras on the background are inthe same position (sitting around a table).We can thus notice, on the iconographiclevel, the same scene shot from the sameangle in both versions.But despite these common points, we eas-ily notice a radical scene change whenwe go from one language to another. In-stead of the indoor scene poorly lit andwell delimited, one can see an outdoorscene much brighter and more open tothe eye. The contrast between shootingindoors and outdoors is well illustratedby moving from a family scene (in French)

to a street scene (in Arabic); the changeis also obvious in the setting and the ex-tras in the background. We go from thebackyard of a house to a busy street. Theimpression of graphic similarity betweenthe two versions is maintained mainly bythe unity of perspective that puts the per-fume bottle and the woman on the sameline in both ads. The perfume is on theforeground, the character in the middle

distance and the rest in the backgroundblurred but crucial.


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b) Regarding the meaning: this graphic

stratification renders the background ele-ments that are decisive in determining themeaning of the advertising message. Butthese elements are totally different in thetwo versions, which leads to a change inmeaning despite an apparent unity of per-ception. The unity is due to the Italian iden-tity of the product in both versions whereasthe difference is due to the shown aspect ofthis Italian identity. In both cases, the per-

fume brand name, clearly mentioned in theforeground (Tuscany per Donna) refl ects theidentity of the product and guides the read-ing of the advertising message. But the in-terpretation of the scene is also dependenton other graphic elements especially in thiscase, the elements that vary from one ver-sion to another.The privacy of the house is replaced bythe exuberance of seduction, and the fam-ily smile by the fl irtatious laughter. Thus theattitude of the ads character could be in-terpreted differently. Instead of the complic-ity of the female attitude in French we havethe feigned playfulness of the character inArabic. In fact, in one version the womanturns her eyes towards the family and in theother version she turns her eyes awayof theyoung men in the background. And yet it isthe same character, the same smile and thesame look; only the angle of shooting has

been changed completely altering thus theglobal meaning of the message.The product (the perfume) which is at theheart of the ad doesnt bring about joy anddelight in the family but instead it has a se-ductive power in attracting the attention ofmen on the woman who is wearing it. Thusthe scene is totally different but it perfectlyfits with the prevailing social representa-tions in the cultural contexts targeted by the

product. Pragmatism establishes thereforethe nature of iconographic adaptation ininternational advertising.

Let us take now a case of textual ad-

aptation that illustrates, among otherthings, the ideological dimension of ad-vertising message.As example, we shall take the adver-tisement of the luxurious watch-es Tissot that have at least four differ-ent versions (French/ English/ Arabic/Polish) and were broadcasted simultane-ously in four different languages. Whatparticularly interests me at this point is to

show how the advertising message wasadapted by translators to the real restric-tions of the targeted market.Let us take the French and Arabic versions.This textual adaptation is visible on two levels.On one hand, on the level of rhetoric im-ages with the translation of the expressionblue planet in French by our mother,the Earth in Arabic which is more idi-omatic and emotionally-charged.And on the other hand, on the level ofthe ideologically chosen words, with thetranslation of the word citizen by in-habitant in order to neutralize the politi-cal dimension that is still very consequen-tial in Arabic because it refers to a type ofgovernment that is rare in the Arab world(the republican and democratic system);to that we could add the universalisticrange of the original message (we areall citizens of the blue planet) that could

irritate some nationalistic regimes.These two examples of localization showhow the interaction between the transla-tion itself and the cultural factors of thetargeted market takes place within thecommercial communication.Let us now take an example of localiza-tion that illustrates, in the same time, anadaptation of the text and the image andbeyond that an adaptation of the interac-

tion between linguistic signs and graphicsigns in international advertising.We shall examine an advertisement for


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the perfume Pome by Lancome that was

a huge success in France and Europe. Wehave four versions in four different languag-es (French/ English/ Portuguese/ Arabic).The message efficiency lies in its poetic na-ture at both the text and image levels as wellas in the double meaning of the womansspeech (interpreted by Juliette Binoche) whointones in French a line of poetry as a slogan(You are the sun that rises to my head).Needless to insist on the real and objective

difficulty to adapt such a message whosemeaning even in French is still ambiguousand subject to several interpretations. (It isnoteworthy that in the English version, thisline was adapted as follows: You are thesea, you cradle the stars and in the Portu-guese version as follows: Tu es o sol queme escaladante a me cabea)

Adaptation of Text + Image +Praxis = Localization

The striking graphic adaptations in this ver-sion can be summarized in three prominentpoints: Dealing with nudity and adapting it to the

culture (blurring the models chest). The writing style (the undulating and color-

ed calligraphy) The layout of the catching line (writing/

reading direction)

In fact, the slogan has the specificity of be-ing represented following a curve line thatinfringes the usual linearity of writing. How-ever, it reproduces the temporal successivenature of the oral speech which strengthensthe slogan themes (it speaks directly to thereader). The translated version keeps thesame slogan design (the curve line) whilereplacing the Latin characters by Arabicones. Still, there are two major differences

between the two layouts.On one hand, the curve line of French char-acters results in an ascendantreading move-

ment that goes from the perfume bottle

to the head of the advertising actress,whereas the Arabic characters arise fromthe perfume bottle and give the sentencea descendantmovement that ends wherethe slogan of the French version begins.On the other hand, the letters thus thewords- that are enlarged to the maximumdiffer from one version to another. Theproportions are totally reversed simplybecause of the reading direction change.

The form of the slogan is obviously affect-ed but is not really different from the ini-tial line. This is mainly due to the undulat-ing movement and to the use of the samecharacter proportions in both versions.Thus the localization of the iconographyseems to be done in a comprehensiveway taking into consideration all the dis-tinctive features of the advertising mes-sage. The text is not only perceived as averbal entity; it has also a graphic identityeasily detectable that the translator oughtto transfer. Whether it is the trademark,the brand name or the slogan, the visualexpression is as important as the verbalexpression that underlies it. In this way,the art of the translator/ localizer consistsof pushing as far as possible the culturalmimesis without losing however the iden-tity of the original message.

The cultural added-value

Beside his technical skills and semiotictraining, the translator/ localizer of the21st century is a professional of cultureable to decode and encode the culturalsigns within the advertising communica-tion. His role has become all the more im-portant since globalization has paradox-ically exacerbated the feelings of local

identity in a culturally globalized era.Schematically, let us say that he/she haschanged - in a short period of time into


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an expert in intercultural communication

because he/she masters the cultural codesthat sell. It is this added-value of his/herwork as translator that renders him/her, to-day, a localizer.But in real practice, what does this added-value cover?The answer is both varied and heterogene-ous just like the culture that the translator/localizer must harness in its moving, yet effi-cient, outlines. Among the technical knowl-

edge of cultural nature that must be mas-tered, we name the following categories:

The adaptation of dates and hours,weights and measures, currencies andaddresses that often vary according tocountries and languages.

The meaning of colors and the symbolismof geometrical and architectural formsthat could be contradictory sometimesfrom one region to another.

The cultural stereotypes and the so-cial clichs in use in the hosting socie-

ties of the advertising message. (i.e

the representation of oneself and ofothers, ethnic preferences, religiousconvictions, national spirit, etc.)

All of these cultural elements could playa decisive role not only in the good un-derstanding of the advertising messagebut also, and especially, in its success onthe targeted market. Having disregardedthe weight of local cultures, numerous

multinationals learnt it to their cost. Thecultural signs could be a source of prob-lems in the commercial communicationbut they may also optimize the beneficialeffects by meeting the local consumerswishes of identification and complicity.In any case, mastering these signs is atechnical know-how that a translator/localizer ought to highlight and benefitfrom in a materialistic world where eve-rything is negotiable. And it is up to thetranslator to use his/her cleverness tobargain for a better future.

Adaptations related to theproduct

Adaptations related to thelanguage

Adaptations related to theculture

Brand name transcribed Idiomatic expressions Direct speech and the use of theimperative mood

Trade name transcribed Metaphoric constructions Animal metaphors

Label of origin reproduced Comparative structures Ethical and political arguments

Manufacturing process nameRedundant phrasing

Redundant phrasing Physical stereotypes

Testimonials reproduced Technical terms and compounds Use of English and neologisms

Indicative tables of advertising localization aspects

1) The verbal-graphic localization


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Adaptations related tothe product

Adaptations related tothe culture

Adaptations related tothe regulations

Size enlargement Retouching nudity Changing layouts/designs

Centering Changing the framework orcolors

Selecting relevant argu-ments

Image pairing Making scene or positionchanges

Concealing the humanbody/ eroticism

Personification Substituting characters Respecting sensibilities

2) The iconographic localization


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DE MOOIJ, M. 1998: Global Marketingand Advertising: Understanding CulturalParadoxes, London, Sage, 315 p.

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The Translation of Advertisements From Adaptation to Localization