In international marketing, a single mistranslated phrase can spell disaster for a brand. One of the most infamous examples is Pepsi’s 1960s Chinese slogan “Come alive with Pepsi,” which, in local dialects, was interpreted as “Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave”. This mistranslation, while humorous in hindsight, highlights profound challenges firms face when entering foreign markets.
Historical Context
Pepsi’s global expansion in the mid-20th century brought it into China, a market with rich linguistic nuance and complex logographic script. The original English slogan aimed to evoke youthfulness and vitality. However, when translated too literally without considering context, cultural connotations, and linguistic structure, the result was both shocking and absurd to Chinese consumers.
Why Did This Happen?
- Literal Translation
The phrase was translated word-for-word, ignoring semantics and cultural context. Chinese characters with multiple meanings led to a mistranslation that emphasised resurrection: an ominous concept in ancestral-based cultures. - Cultural Blind Spots
Pepsi’s translation seemingly ignored the reverence for ancestors in Chinese tradition. Mentioning “bringing ancestors back” is taboo, touching on beliefs in the afterlife and ancestral spirits. - Lack of Local Expertise
Reports suggest Pepsi didn’t consult native linguists or perform sufficient focus-group testing, thus failing to detect the error until it had already gone public.
Business Impacts
- Brand Damage: The bizarre slogan embarrassed local audiences and triggered widespread ridicule, undermining Pepsi’s marketing credibility.
- Financial Cost: Fixing such an error required republishing materials, reprinting packaging, re-running ads, and launching corrective campaigns – all at considerable expense.
- Loss of Trust: Consumers may view global firms as insensitive or tone-deaf, potentially prompting long-term damage to brand reputation in that market.
Broader Implications for Multinational Marketing
- Not Just Words: Translation is more than lexical conversion – it must account for transcreation, the art of adapting content to resonate emotionally and culturally.
- Contextual Sensitivity: Idioms, humour, or metaphors often don’t “travel.” Literal translation fails when the target language requires culturally anchored rephrasing.
- Native Testing: In-market validation with target audiences can prevent costly missteps.
Academic Insights & Best Practices
Translation scholars emphasise the importance of balancing literal and dynamic equivalence. According to Newmark’s translation theory:
- Literal (metaphrase): Word for word, often inappropriate for marketing.
- Semantic: Careful meaning for meaning, useful for texts requiring precision.
- Communicative (dynamic): Captures sense, tone, and cultural relevance, which is central to successful marketing translation.
A 2017 study in the Journal of Brand Strategy found firms that invested in transcreation (adaptive translation) saw 30% higher brand engagement in foreign markets compared to those relying on literal translation.
Recommendations for Firms
- Engage Native Linguists & Cultural Consultants: Professionals who understand local idioms and cultural frameworks.
- Localise, Don’t Translate: A creative rewrite may preserve brand essence better than direct translation.
- Use Focus Groups: Pilot campaigns locally before a full launch.
- Iterate Responsively: Monitor feedback and be prepared to tweak messaging.
- Operational Budgeting for Contingencies: Allocate funds to correct any translation anomalies swiftly.
Conclusion
Pepsi’s “ancestral resurrection” fiasco is more than just folklore: it is an example of how translation errors can have tangible, reputational consequences. For firms expanding globally, this shows that every word carries weight. Successful international campaigns require more than linguistic accuracy: they demand cultural fluency, strategic adaptation, and meticulous testing.