August 12, 2008 10:55 AM
Ad Watch: 20 oz. of Delicious Happiness
When Western companies come to Asia, one of the first things they have to do is figure out exactly what to call themselves. Some -- like Adidas or Nike -- just keep their English names. Others try to reinvent their brand through the local language.Take Coca Cola, for example. Ask for a Coke in most stores, and they'll have no idea what you're talking about. But ask for a bottle of delicious happiness, and you might have more success.
Yes, the Mandarin word for Coca Cola translates as "delicious happiness." That's marketing for you.
Moving on: here's one of Coke's many ads for the Olympics, featuring one terrifying red carpet being rolled out to the Pacific Ocean to welcome... Yao Ming? I'm not sure exactly what they're trying to say about where Yao fits on the evolutionary scale, but apparently, the big guy can breathe underwater (while staying dry and keeping a torch lit, I might add). Enjoy:
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