The Challenges of Translating Advertisements and

Slogans

Komljenović, Ana

Master's thesis / Diplomski rad

2017

Degree Grantor / Ustanova koja je dodijelila akademski / stručni stupanj: Josip Juraj
Strossmayer University of Osijek, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences / Sveučilište
Josipa Jurja Strossmayera u Osijeku, Filozofski fakultet

Permanent link / Trajna poveznica: https://urn.nsk.hr/urn:nbn:hr:142:818603

Rights / Prava: In copyright / Zaštićeno autorskim pravom.

Download date / Datum preuzimanja: 2023-02-23

Repository / Repozitorij:

FFOS-repository - Repository of the Faculty of

Humanities and Social Sciences Osijek
 Sveučilište J.J. Strossmayera u Osijeku

Filozofski fakultet Osijek

Dvopredmetni sveučilišni diplomski studij engleskog jezika i književnosti -

prevoditeljski smjer i pedagogije

Ana Komljenović

Izazovi prevođenja promidžbenih poruka i slogana

Diplomski rad

Mentor: doc. dr. sc. Goran Schmidt

Osijek, 2017.
 Sveučilište J.J. Strossmayera u Osijeku

Filozofski fakultet Osijek

Dvopredmetni sveučilišni diplomski studij engleskog jezika i književnosti -

prevoditeljski smjer i pedagogije

Ana Komljenović

Izazovi prevođenja promidžbenih poruka i slogana

Diplomski rad

Znanstveno područje: humanističke znanosti

Znanstveno polje: filologija

Znanstvena grana: anglistika

Mentor: doc. dr. sc. Goran Schmidt

Osijek, 2017.
 J.J. Strossmayer University of Osijek

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Double Major MA Study Programme in English Language and Literature –

English Translation and Interpreting Studies and in Pedagogy

Ana Komljenović

The challenges of translating advertisements and slogans

Master’s Thesis

Supervisor: Doc. dr. sc. Goran Schmidt

Osijek, 2017
 J.J. Strossmayer University of Osijek

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Double Major MA Study Programme in English Language and Literature –

English Translation and Interpreting Studies and in Pedagogy

Ana Komljenović

The challenges of translating advertisements and slogans

Master’s Thesis

Scientific area: Humanities

Scientific field: Philology

Scientific branch: English Studies

Supervisor: Doc. Dr. Sc. Goran Schmidt

Osijek, 2017
Abstract

The paper studies translations of advertisements based on the strategies used for translating
advertisements and slogans. All the advertisements were translated or adapted from English
into Croatian, and analysed according to a set of strategies, which are often used in the
translation of advertisements. The set of strategies that is presented in the paper was made
through a close examination of relevant literature in the field of advertising and translation.
The main source of data for comparison was the Internet, and the translators remain unknown.
The name of the translator was listed in only one of the analysed advertisements, so it is not
possible to speculate about their competence or professionalism. Still, according to their
translations, the similarity between the original and target text, and the objectives that are set
for all advertisements, some conclusions were drawn about the quality of those translations.
The advertisements were specifically chosen for different products and services that were
translated in different ways, to explain the variety of translation strategies and the challenges
that translators face while adapting those advertisements to the Croatian market.

Key words: advertisements, slogans, translation strategies

 Table of contents

1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 1
1.1. Aim .......................................................................................................................... 1
1.2. Methodology............................................................................................................ 1
2. Theoretical framework of advertisements and slogans ................................................... 2
2.1. Defining advertising ................................................................................................ 2
2.2. The language of advertising .................................................................................... 5
2.3. Advertising slogans ................................................................................................. 6
2.4. Culture and advertising ............................................................................................ 7
3. The strategies of translating advertisements and slogans ................................................ 9
3.1. Translating advertisements and slogans .................................................................. 9
3.2. Cultural adaptation ................................................................................................ 10
3.3. Standardization ...................................................................................................... 11
3.4. Paraphrase .............................................................................................................. 11
3.5. Expansion and reduction ....................................................................................... 12
3.6. Modulation............................................................................................................. 12
3.7. Substitution ............................................................................................................ 13
3.8. Loanword (borrowing) and calque ........................................................................ 13
3.9. Literal translation ................................................................................................... 14
3.10. Omission .............................................................................................................. 15
3.11. Other strategies and tips for translating advertisements ...................................... 15
4. Analysis of translation strategies in advertisements and slogans translated into the Croatian
language ............................................................................................................................ 17
4.1. Coca Cola Zero ...................................................................................................... 17
4.2. Becks beer.............................................................................................................. 19
4.3. Milka chocolate ..................................................................................................... 19
4.4. Orbit ....................................................................................................................... 21
4.5. Old Spice ............................................................................................................... 22
4.6. Schweppes ............................................................................................................. 23
4.7. Grawe insurance company..................................................................................... 24
 4.8. Voltaren Gel .......................................................................................................... 25
4.9. Philips: Perfect Care Elite Silence Steam Generator Iron ..................................... 27
4.10. Oreo cookies ........................................................................................................ 28
4.11. OMV .................................................................................................................... 29
4.12. Felix Sensations ................................................................................................... 29
4.13. Dove..................................................................................................................... 30
4.14. Slogan translations ............................................................................................... 32
4.15. General conclusions on the strategies and challenges of translating advertisements
and slogans ................................................................................................................... 34
5. Conclusion ..................................................................................................................... 37
6. References ..................................................................................................................... 38
1. Introduction

Advertisements have become a great part of our everyday life. We listen to them on the radio,
watch them on TV and the Internet, and look at them while walking through the city.
Nowadays, they are almost impossible to avoid and ignore, and many products and services
are advertised internationally. Many foreign brands are sold in the Croatian market, and this
paper deals with the translations of their slogans and advertisements from English into
Croatian. Advertising includes creative use of words with a strategy of taking over the market,
and translation often includes creativity, as well as translation strategies to achieve the goal
that marketing experts have set. If the translator manages to both transfer the meaning and
creativity of the advertisement, and meet the purpose of the advertisement (which is often to
sell a product/service or attract customers), it is possible to say that he or she has done a good
job.

1.1. Aim

Firstly, the aim of this paper is to give a detailed overview of the language of advertising, the
connection of advertising and language, and the strategies and challenges of translating
advertisements and slogans. Secondly, the paper brings an analysis of translated
advertisements and slogans according to a previously established set of translation strategies.
Thirdly, we will draw conclusions on the advertising translation strategies and challenges that
translators face when trying to translate or adapt the advertisement to the target language and
market.
The paper lists 44 advertisement transcripts and slogans that were translated from English into
the Croatian language. The advertisements were chosen according to the different products
and services, to present the variety of the advertising and translation strategies. The analysis
of the translations consists of the comparison of their similarity to the original texts, the
strategies that were used in the process of translation and the success of achieving the purpose
that was intended by the original advertisement or slogan.

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2. Theoretical framework of translating advertisements and slogans

2.1. Defining advertising

The forming of the word „advertisement“ dates back to Latin word „adverture“, with its
meaning of “attraction”. In the middle ages of English, it varied into the word „advertise“, and
the meaning also changed into “attracting somebody to notice something”, or “informing
somebody so as to attract him” (Xu 2008:83).
In the Croatian language, the common word for advertisement is „reklama“,
which comes from Latin word „reclamare“, which means to shout loud for a long time, as
long as we do not meet our purpose (Miletić 2014). The meaning of advertising refers to not
only one piece of advertisement, but a series of advertising activities, like leaflets, billboards,
posters, adverts on TV, the internet or the radio, etc., paid by the advertiser to make public
propaganda to promote its aim by sale, usage, vote or agreement (Xu 2008). Advertisements
represent an important part of advertising, they consist of pictures, sets of words, short films
which are intended to persuade people to buy a product or use a service, or they give
information about different events or campaigns. Over the years, they have become an
instrument to manipulate social values and attitudes, being less focused on the basic function
of communicating information about goods and services (Dan 2015).
An advert is an operative text which invites readers to respond in a certain way and
may require them to call on encyclopaedic knowledge, either of the text language or culture in
general. These texts are aimed to influence readers by appealing to their sensitivities and
hidden desires and encouraging them to do or buy something (Kusçu, Unlu 2015). The main
features of advertisements are short, concise form, and intelligibility. By consecutively
repeating the advertisements and commercials, the companies create a need for certain
products or services. That need is usually artificial, and not real; people are usually
“brainwashed” to need more than they really do in favour of the economy. Therefore,
corporations and companies can manipulate people with their commercials and
advertisements (Miletić 2014).
Besides textual (written or spoken) content, adverts consist of pictures or different
video screenings, which are also very important to leave an impression on the customer.
Advertising has gained access to all fields of the social order: arts, culture, sport, fashion,
politics and even religion, for the reason that “not any single discipline can exist in such a

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competitive market without endorsing itself or being exploited by products/companies as a
medium to endorse itself” (Chidiac, Saliba 2016:67).
There are different approaches to advertisement, like notions of soft sell and hard
sell. A hard sell approach assumes that the consumer needs more information in order to
purchase products or services, whereas soft sell approach is used where the impression is
more important than the information (Louise 2014). While hard selling makes a direct appeal,
soft selling relies more on mood than exhortation, and on the implication that life will be
better with the product or service (Christelle 2012). In other words, with hard selling
advertisers usually make imperative sentences to make a direct appeal to customers, and with
soft selling they “set the mood” for buying a particular product or service, by appealing to
customer’s needs, desires or motives. Many times the effect of soft sell is produced just by
placing the brand or logo and a new product on the picture of a successful and beautiful
woman or a handsome man (if we are trying to sell a perfume, for example). Therefore, there
is no need to translate this kind of advertisements, but sometimes the pictures have to be
adapted to the target market.

Picture 1: An example of soft sell advertising: McDonald’s Egg McMuffin1

This picture represents an example of soft sell in two ways. The slogan of McDonalds “I’m
lovin’ it” is purposely used in the wrong form of the word “love”. But in this case, it is more
than incorrect grammatical form; by using “love”, which is a state verb, in progressive form,
advertisers are suggesting that in McDonalds you enjoy in that moment, in that place, so much
that they had to use such a strong word like “love” in progressive and dynamic way. It draws
attention, it is catchy and it proved to be a very successful slogan. Moreover, this billboard in
a covert way suggests that by tasting Egg McMuffin (the sandwich on the photo) you will

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enjoy its taste more than by eating any other food. Even though this is an example of soft sell,
it is visible how influential it can be in many levels. In some cases, it can be more effective
than hard sell, because it draws people to try the product or service by appealing to their
emotions of pleasure, happiness, comfort, love, etc. Advertisers often choose this way of
advertising because it is less direct and the customers do not find it arrogant or bossy as hard
sell adverts.

Picture 2: Examples of hard sell advertising: Coca Cola2 and Ford3

These advertisements are an example of hard sell; they directly invite the customer to buy that
product, by using imperative sentences. In the Ford advertisement, they use a direct reason
why people should buy their brand of car and emphasize rational benefit: to cut their costs.
Hard sell might help indecisive customers or people who are prone to buy impulsively,
without thinking it through. Hard sell strategy has more negative connotations in the sales
world than soft sell, mostly because people can find it too pushy and intruding. In a world
where market competition is greater than ever, if a company “goes over the edge” with hard
sell, it can have negative effects on long term goals of a company because repeat customers
and word of mouth have a great impact on sales (Rogers 2015).

2
http://www.marketingatjoka.com/tag/coke/
3
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/1920-1929-ford-trucks1.htm

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2.2. The language of advertising

From its beginning till today, advertising has created its own language. According to Dan
(2015:16), “there are 3 types of “linguistic unorthodoxy”: lexical (blend words, nonce words),
semantic (personification, metaphor) and contextual (ambiguity)”. Therefore, the language
used in advertising is considered different from the language used in everyday situations.
Adverts often repeat words or phrases to ensure the message will be remembered
and they offer bonuses, promises of bargains, of getting something for (almost) nothing.
Stereotypes are often used (e.g. use of young attractive people to promote a gym), or quotes or
authority from famous people (like doctors or celebrities). Adverts call for action, express the
urgency to act on the advice (e.g. buy now before stocks run out), and contain a mix of facts
and persuasive comment. They focus on the positive and ignore the negative, and also use
exaggerated language, full of adjectives and adverbs to paint an appealing picture (e.g. the
biggest sale ever). They start sentences with the imperative, ask rhetorical questions (e.g. do
you have tired, dull hair?), and use memorable images and slogans (e.g. smooth, sleek, shiny
hair is yours with super care) (Kusçu, Unlu 2015).
Moreover, advertising does not seek to steady the ground of meaning beneath our
feet, but to make it sway. It resembles a dialogue, the advert addresses a consumer in
colloquial language and exploits most private and intimate human subjects which make the
whole interaction quite personal, intimate and emotive (Džanić 2013). Džanić (2013) also
points out that most adverts and commercials focus not only on the text, but on the
photographs and visual presentation of a product or service, which always have more power
to attract customers than the plain text. A lot of effort should be put into creation of high
quality advertisement, because it has to reach to its potential customers, it has to be well-
known and better than its competition products, and it has to stay longer on the market
(Miletić 2014).
In modern societies, following the development of the international connections
and the system of global economy, the communication around the world gets more frequent
than ever before. In order to catch hold of the markets, each country competes to promote its
products by using advertisements, therefore the need for professional and skilled translators in
that field is greater than ever.

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2.3. Advertising slogans

Slogans present the motto of the company in a few words, and describe the aims and benefits
that the products or services can bring to the customers. Advertising largely relies on slogans;
each company adopts a catchy phrase to represent its line of products or a particular brand. It is
very important to consider that slogans do not necessarily reflect the intent of an enterprise to
attract new clients; one of their primary aims is “to reflect the concept, spirit or some unique
quality of an enterprise” (Rumšiene 2014: 2).
Just like advertisements, slogans must be translated when a company chooses to
advertise its products in an international market, entering a different social and cultural frame.
In order for it to be effective, every slogan has to contain some characteristics, like using a
simple and colloquial language, short sentences, usually imperative and interrogative, or
sentences without a predicative. Like advertisements, slogans rely on the connotative meaning
and ambiguity of words, use puns, well-known phrases, idioms or sayings. Slogans can often
contain new-invented words, like blend words which quickly draw the attention of the
audience (Dan 2015). All of the above present profound challenges for translators of
advertisements, and a skilled translator must be familiar with previously mentioned
characteristics of advertisements and slogans in order to “produce” or create a successful
advert or slogan.
According to Dan, slogans can represent: an objective description of the product’s
image or utility (e.g. Nokia - Connecting people, Ralph Laurent- Eyewear); an urge to use the
product (for example: Coca Cola- Have a Coke and a smile, Pepsi - Have a Pepsi day!), a
symbolic image of the product (Palmolive- The touch of nature, Bounty- A taste of paradise)
(2015: 17). Metaphors not only describe the products but they also transmit attitudes, ideas or
concepts that are attractive to the targeted group of people.
Slogans are usually made of short imperative sentences (e.g. Apple computers -
Think different. American Express - Do more), or sentences without a predicate (e.g. Allianz -
The power on your side, American Airlines - Something special in the air). Slogans are also
made up of an enumeration of nouns, adjectives, adverbs or verbs (e.g. E-bay - Buy it. Sell it.
Love it. Paulaner - Good. Better. Paulaner). Many slogans contain a comparative of
superiority or the superlative (e.g. Sony - Like no other; Duracell batteries. No battery is
stronger longer). There are slogans which rely on the public’s cultural knowledge using well-

6
known idioms, sayings and phrases (e.g. Make out, not war!; Help kids be kids!) (Dan 2015:
17-18).
These are just a couple of examples of features of slogans in advertising: the
language is rich with millions of possibilities for ambiguity, humour, concepts, and many
other creative ways to entertain the customer and invite him to notice the product/service.
Companies choose to use idioms and proverbs in slogans mainly because most people use
them in eyeryday situations, and because they can be easily recognizable by the public. There
are also slogans which use the literal meaning of an idiom or a proverb, creating a humorous
effect. Slogans can draw attention very quickly, especially when they are paraphrased. The
creative use of idioms and proverbs can give them new meanings, making them memorable.
These slogans are either directed to a specific social category or to the public in general.
Through repetition, slogans enter everyday speech, creating a more familiar and friendly way
of transmitting a message. The frequent use of paraphrased idioms and proverbs can help
people associate the product with a specific slogan (Dan 2015:18-19).

2.4. Culture and advertising

Advertising is made for consumers, and consumers are products of their culture, historical
context and geographical region. Language is intertwined with consumers' culture, and
therefore translators of advertisements must have a background knowledge on the cultures of
both target and source language. According to many studies, a consumer responds positively
to an advertisement once it is compatible with his own culture.
Advertisements carry cultural messages, ideas, concepts and beliefs of a country.
The translator must first understand the meaning of the culture-bound elements of the source
text and then transpose those elements in the target text, which is often a challenging task,
having in mind that every culture is different and unique. Cultural untranslatability occurs
when the elements in the source culture do not have the equivalent in the target culture. The
cultural differences between two languages can be translated by an adaptation or a paraphrase.
(Dan 2015).
Some authors claim that the sole purpose of advertising is selling and promoting a product or
a service, while others point out that advertising also entertains the public and influences
attitudes, beliefs and behaviours. For example, advertising promotes campaigns for education,
health, environment or social and political campaigns. We can go even further and say that, in
modern societies, advertising has taken up a new role of “transmitting new messages to the

7
target public: interpersonal and family relations, the sense of happiness and contentment, sex
roles and stereotyping, the fading away of cultural traditions, influences on younger
generations, the role of business in society, persuasion and personal autonomy and others”
(Dan 2105:14).
Furthermore, advertising is a means of developing strong brands, which basically
means that companies which plan to sell their products or services internationally also have to
consider an international name and slogan. In most cases, a literal translation is not a good
solution, precisely because of the inter-dependence of language and culture. For example,
“Motorola is pronounced as 'me de lou la' in Cantonese, which means ‘nothing to take'”. Ford
Nova in Spanish translates to 'doesn't go', and offers a funny paradox instead of a good pay
off (Mooij 2013).
In order to offer a good translation or an adaptation of an advertisement or a
slogan, a translator also has to be familiar with marketing and its differences among cultures.
Even though people in different cultures have different knowledge about objects, events and
people, they often share the same needs, motives and emotions behind purchasing a product
or a service. Motives for buying a car will mostly vary between safety, design, status and
being environmentally friendly. Those motives for buying can be recognized in the appeals
used in advertising, and often must be adapted. If the advertising message does not fit the
consumers’ motives and desires, they will ignore it. Advertising language in Europe and
United States is predominantly persuasive, biased toward rational claims and direct address of
the public. Meanwhile, in Asian countries, the role of advertising is to build a relationship
between the company and consumers (Mooij 2013:3). Therefore, direct approach to costumers
would turn them off, instead of persuading them.
As the culture changes throughout history, so does advertising, and it assumes
different forms throughout time. At first, there were only adverts in the papers, billboards and
on the radio. As the time goes by, now there are different adverts on TV and internet, and
since there are more places where companies can put their advertisements, there is more work
for translators. The task gets even more challenging with the short video clips which usually
have to be correlated with the text that the translator gets. There are often cases where he can
literally translate the text, but sometimes he has to work with a team of marketing experts in
order to create a whole new advertisement that would be successful in a different culture.

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3. The strategies of translating advertisements and slogans

3.1. Translating advertisements and slogans

“The translator should be an innovative writer and must have the ability to switch between
different styles in order to echo the tone and style of the original work. It’s imperative for the
translators to start a serious and large-scale process of adaptation which necessitates an
exceptionally high energy, good-will and objective thinking in order to produce an
advertisement reflecting the spirit of the original one” (Chidiac, Saliba 2016:74).
There seem to be only a few guidelines for translators of advertising. Relevant
articles only offer general terms and it is up to a translator to decide which technique he or she
will use. Even though Smith (Louise 2002) suggests that this might indicate the industry’s
failure to appreciate the difficulties of translating advertising material effectively, the reason
behind it may be that it is impossible to give strict rules for translating advertising texts.
Translation can vary from literal (which is rare, but possible; e.g. Maybelline’s slogan –
“Maybe she’s born with it, and maybe it’s Maybelline.” – “Možda je rođena s tim, a možda je
to Maybelline.”) to adaptation and free translation, which means changing the whole text and
adapting it to the target culture. A successful translation of an advertisement does not
necessarily mean departing from the source text completely, although this does need to be an
option.
Arens and Bovee (Louise 2002:32) offer four basic rules to follow when translating
advertisements:
 “The translator must be an effective copywriter. It is not enough to merely rewrite the
ads in a foreign language.
 The translator must understand the product, its features, and its market.
 Translators should translate into their native tongue and live in the country where the
advert is to appear.
 The advertiser should give the translator easily translatable English language, without
double meanings or idiomatic expressions.“
Even though there is a good reasoning behind these rules, they are aimed at
translation commissioners, not translation professionals, and they are not always adhered to.
As a matter of fact, the lack of following those rules has led translation professionals to write
about the process and strategies of their translations of advertisements, which are useful to

9
other translators in that particular field. Therefore, it is possible to collect general tips and
advices on translation of advertisements and slogans, and one may decide which one to follow
according to the purpose of translation.
A translator must ensure that the translated text functions in the way it is supposed
to function in the source text. This correlates with Vermeer’s Skopos theory, which suggests
that “translation should be done in accordance with the purpose for which the target text is
intended and any strategy can be applied as long as the skopos (Greek ‘aim’, or ‘purpose’) is
fulfilled (Kusçu, Unlu 2015: 48).
When approaching an advertisement in order to translate it, Nord (Dan 2015:20)
points out that a translator “must inquire about the translation context elements and their
influence in the transfer methods that have to be applied”. In other words, translator’s first
task would be to perform an elaborated analysis of the linguistic and structural elements of the
source text, which have to be adequately transferred in the target text. Furthermore, a
translator can use a whole variety of strategies when it comes to translating adverts,
depending on its purpose. Some of those strategies are cultural adaptation, standardization,
paraphrase, expansion, reduction, modulation, substitution, loanword, calque, literal
translation, and omission (Kusçu, Unlu 2015).

3.2. Cultural adaptation

In order to persuade customers to purchase a product or a service, the advertisers often try to
adapt to the target culture’s demographic characteristics such as sex and age, psychographic
characteristics such as values, attitudes, and lifestyles, and so on. Of all the mentioned
characteristics, adaptation of values is considered the most important. Hornikx and O’Keefe
(2009: 40) define values as “people’s guiding principles in life, affecting their attitudes,
intentions, and behaviour”. To the extent that the advertiser’s arguments speak to the potential
customer’s values, surely to that same extent the advertisement is likely to be successful,
which was confirmed by Hornikx and O’Keefe’s research. In that context, adaptation allows
companies to tailor their ads to the needs and tastes of each local culture. If advertisements
offend their customers who are strongly influenced by their religion, there would be no
chance of promotion or making profit. For instance, China’s cultural elements dictate that
comparative advertisements are not allowed, while in America and Croatia, they are often
used to persuade customers to choose one product over another. However, in America there
are certain guidelines on how to use a comparison of products in advertisements: “the intent

10
should be to inform, not to discredit or unfairly attack; the competition should be identified,
fair and proper; and comparison should be made between similar properties and ingredients”
(Cui 2009: 14). Moreover, a skilful translator must be familiar with the way people think in
the cultures he translates into and from. For example, an advertising containing seduction or
some sexual connotations would not make any problem in western societies, however, such
advertisements cannot be shown in Arabic societies (Chidiac, Saliba 2016).

3.3. Standardization

Standardization approach to marketing states that there is a union of cultures with similar
environmental and customer demand around the world. The greatest benefit of standardization
is that creating one strategy for the global market and standardizing the market mix elements
can achieve consistency with customers as well as lower costs. Some authors (Alwazir 2013)
claim that successful companies have moved away from customizing their products and
advertising to offer globally standardized products and adverts that are advanced, functional,
reliable, and low priced. This theory is quite the opposite of the adaptation recommendation,
but it certainly has its benefits. On the one hand, companies can choose between adapting
their products, services, and advertising to certain cultures, and on the other hand, they can
standardize their products, services and adverts by concentrating on what everyone wants.
Standardized advertisements and slogans are usually kept in the source language. Slogans like
Nike’s “Just do it”, and Volkswagen’s “Das Auto” are kept in their source form, and
standardized commercials for different products usually have very little or no text at all, just
the music and the visual presentation of the products or services.

3.4. Paraphrase

According to the Cambridge Online Dictionary, to paraphrase means “to repeat something
written or spoken using different words, often in a humorous form or in a simpler and shorter
form that makes the original meaning clearer”4. In the context of advertising, advertisers often
use some idiom, saying, proverb, or popular idea and paraphrase it to introduce their
product/service. This strategy is also explained in Section 2.3. For example, McDonalds has
introduced its new Choco Cookie Cafe Latte in the line of products, and the Croatian advert

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for it is: “Slatko dok kažeš keks!”. The idea behind this slogan is that you will satisfy your
desire for sugar in a brief moment, since you will not have to wait for a long time; the coffee
is prepared very quickly, and it has the taste of chocolate cookies, that’s why the paraphrase
of Croatian saying “dok kažeš keks” fits perfectly into this slogan. Moreover, it also invites
you to try McDonalds choco cookies with it. Paraphrasing in translation requires a certain
level of creativity since it includes taking old ideas and forming a new one from them. The
people should connect the slogan or the idea in the advertisement with the old saying or an
idiom, but also understand why it was used in this new context for selling the product/service.

3.5. Expansion and reduction

These two procedures are usually used in poor written texts and lead to a change in lexical
and stylistic aspects. Expansion refers to the case where the translator exceeds the number of
words of the source language text in translation.
Expansion procedure also occurs when the translator tries to shift from the implicit to the
explicit, and offer an explanation or more words than in the original.
In the reduction procedure, the translator will reduce the number of elements that form the
original text. This procedure should respect the principle of relevance. That is, the translator
ought to make sure that no crucial information is omitted in the translation (Zakhir 2008).
There are many examples of reduction in Section 4, and they are often combined with
omission. Expansion and adaptation are visible in many Croatian adverts, whereas English
slogans and lines are mostly short and swift. Many Croatian slogans tent to describe
something more than provide a catchy two- or three-word slogan. For example, the Orbit
slogan: “Time to shine” was adapted to Croatian as “Za zdrave zube i lijep osmijeh”. It is an
adaptation, and also an expansion of a slogan. Moreover, there is a new slogan for American
Express in the Croatian PBZ Bank that says: “Dobrodošli u svijet koji je jednostavan,
fleksibilan i siguran”. English slogans for American Express are mostly shorter than Croatian:
“Do more”, “Don’t leave home without it”, “My life. My card”, etc.

3.6. Modulation

Modulation consists of using a phrase that is different in the source and target languages to
convey the same idea. It is a translation method consisting in throwing a different light on, or

12
looking from a different angle at, the lines to be translated, so as to appear more natural in the
target language. For example, “Te lo dejo means literally I leave it to you but translates better
as You can have it. It changes the semantics and shifts the point of view of the source
language. Also, a slogan for Michelin says “A better way forward”, which would translate
into Croatian as “bolji način za krenuti naprijed”. However, the Croatian slogan is “Bolji
način kretanja”, which sounds more natural in the target language, and also conveys the same
ideas that were conveyed in the original. Through modulation, the translator generates a
change in the point of view of the message without altering the meaning and without
generating a sense of awkwardness in the reader of the target text. This type of change of
point of view in a message is what makes a reader say: "Yes, this is exactly how we say it in
our language" (Bosco 2015).

3.7. Substitution

Owji (2013) explains that the strategy of substitution involves replacing a culture-specific
item or expression with a target language item considering its impact on the target reader.
This strategy makes the translated text more natural, more understandable and more familiar
to the target reader. The translator's decision to use this strategy will depend on the degree to
which the translator is given license by those who commission the translation and the purpose
of the translation. For example, in Coca Cola Zero’s commercial Tongues and Eye, the
expression “go stand in front of a hairdryer” was substituted with “odi zuri u sunce”, which
was accepted very well in the Croatian market.
According to Guerra (2012), linguistic-paralinguistic substitution is the translation procedure
in which linguistic elements are replaced by paralinguistic elements (intonation, gestures, etc.)
or vice versa, as in translating the Arab gesture of putting your hand on your heart as ‘Thank
you’. Some English commercials contain just a song and a video that shows the
product/service it is trying to sell, whereas in a few of the same Croatian commercials the
advertisers tend to add text and explain the product.

3.8. Loanword (borrowing) and calque

Borrowing means taking a word or expression straight from another language, without
translation. For example, in the translation of advertisements into the Croatian language, a
translator will often use an English or a German word, if there is no equivalent in the Croatian

13
language. They are often assimilated in the Croatian language, even though linguists try to
invent native words for that meaning. Borrowings can enrich a language and even the English
language is seventy-five percent made of words with foreign origin (Guerra 2012).
Calque could be described as a type of “literal translation (either lexical or structural) of a
foreign word or phrase” (Guerra 2012: 8). It could be considered as a type of loanword, since
the translator borrows the expression from the source language and then transfers it to a literal
translation. The main difference between a loanword and a calque is that that the former
imitates the morphology, signification and phonetics of the foreign word of phrase, while the
latter only imitates the meaning and morphology, but not its pronunciation (Guerra 2012).
Moreover, borrowing a foreign word implies passivity, while calque requires a certain amount
of creativity. In Croatia, there is a formal tendency to avoid borrowing and to use or invent
Croatian words instead. Still, many advertisements tend to choose foreign words to advertise
products/services, since they are more familiar and accepted among people than the
“invented” Croatian words. The Croatian language is rich with many borrowings and calques
from English, German, Italian, Turkish, and other languages it was in contact with throughout
its history, and their use is visible in advertising, as well as in everyday situations.

3.9. Literal translation

According to Newmark (Obeidat 2015:73), literal translation is “the first step in translation,
and a good translator abandons a literal version only when it is plainly inexact or, in the case
of a vocative or informative text, badly written”. When a translator uses this strategy, he or
she must pay attention to the whole context of the text, and not just translate word for word.
This strategy is employed when a brand name is so strong that the product needs little verbal
support (in TV commercials), so that the translator can retain both the graphics and the text of
the advertisement. It is often used for advertising of perfume, alcohol, cigarettes, soft drinks
and cars. The target market is primarily that of businessmen and young people (Smith 2002).
Many advertisements that are made in different cultures can simply be literally translated in
our language, while maintaining the graphics and the audio. For example, advertisements for
Milka chocolate, Christmas Coca Cola, foreign beers like Beck’s, Heineken and Stella Artois.

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3.10. Omission

Omission is ″ the exclusion of some information that was present in the source text in a bid to
make the translation understandable″ (Obeidat 2015: 74). It is often seen as a simplification
strategy that aims to make the translated text more target-friendly. However, translators use
this strategy only as a last resort, when there are more advantages from producing a smooth
and readable translation than rendering the original meaning in the given context. Omission is
justified if certain words in the source language produce an awkward or inappropriate
message in the target language. It can often be combined with cultural adaptation. For
example, Swarovski had a slogan “Man up, Girl!” for its line of jewellery for women, which
was characterized by masculine elegance. This advert had to be adapted for Arab market,
since Arab women do not want to relate to any masculine traits. Therefore, this slogan was
omitted and instead, translators replaced it with more appropriate slogan “Get Ready” (Saliba,
Chidiac 2016). Still, if he does not want to appear negligent or inattentive, a translator must
not use omission with crucial words or phrases which drastically alter the meaning of the
original text. For example, direct headlines for advertisements are often used to draw the
attention on the Internet or in the newspapers and magazines. In the research conducted on the
translation of e-Brochures of baby care products, Obediat (2015) found that there were
omissions in translation of direct headlines, which is an essential persuasive element to
capture customer’s attention. Furthermore, Obediat concluded that the strategy of omission
was misused because of unqualified translators and an inadequate appreciation of the mind of
the target product customer. Translators also missed to point out the paediatrician’s advice 7
out of 30 times and it greatly affected the promotional purpose of these brochures on parents –
the target customers.

3.11. Other strategies and tips for translating advertisements and slogans

Advertising texts are often rich in cultural elements such as shared beliefs, norms,
roles and values. So, the translation of advertisement is usually more an adaptation than a
mere transfer of words from one language into another. Also, a skilled translator sometimes
must create something new in order to get a similar response to an advertisement in another
culture. Therefore, a translator of advertisements must have knowledge of both source and
target culture and language, must be creative and ready to make something completely new, if
needed. In that case, he should also be familiar with general features of all advertisements.

15
Another interesting aspect of translation in advertisements is humour, which usually leads to a
more favourable attitude toward the advert. Puns and humorous texts in advertisements are
often specific and must be adapted to different countries/cultures in order to be successfully
translated, i.e. to meet its purpose. An advertisement may consist of a visual and a textual
part, and usually the humour arises from all of them, so a translator must take into account all
of these aspects and adapt them to the target culture. Valimohammadi (2013: 296) concludes
that English slogans are usually not translated pun to pun and that most puns are deleted
through the process of translation into a target language. For example, the slogan of the IBM
Company: „I think, therefore IBM“, which refers to a well-known sentence: „I think,
therefore I am“ would be a real challenge to translate, if we aim to transfer both the pun and
the meaning. Moreover, there are cases when slogans which were not intended to have a pun
in their original sense, take over the form of a pun in their translation to the target language.
These are also called „parody puns“.

Smith (2002: 34) argues that “back-translation is not an effective quality control method” and
suggests that it is more fruitful to employ a trained native proof-reader with access to the
visual materials accompanying the text. The ideal proof-reader lives in the target culture and,
as well as highlighting any misunderstandings or ambiguities of meaning, will be in a position
to give an indication of the text's cultural suitability.

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4. Analysis of translation strategies in advertisements and slogans translated into the
Croatian language

Different examples of advertisements were chosen for analysis of the translation strategies,
and the comparison of translation quality. All examples are translated from English into the
Croatian language. It is evident that not all brands are from English speaking countries, so all
of them are not originally written in English. Still, a close resemblance between the English
and Croatian versions of advertisements allows to make comparisons and draw conclusions
on the translation process and quality. The different types of advertisements for products and
services were analysed to portray the particular features and occasional differences in
translation and adaptation for the Croatian market. The most important guideline for detecting
quality of translation was maintaining the final purpose of the advertisement through
translation or adaptation of the text to the target culture. Also, keeping all the important pieces
of information about a new product was considered a relevant factor for the analysis of the
quality and translation success.

4.1. Coca Cola Zero

Coca Cola Zero was launched on the Croatian market in 2007, and the targeted customers
were men and women who want to enjoy the Coca Cola flavour without added sugars or
calories. It is specifically targeted to men, who were shown to associate diet drinks with
women. It is described as having a different taste than Diet Coke; Coca Cola Zero is claimed
to have taste indistinguishable from the original Coca Cola flavour.

English Croatian
Eye: Why are you guys drinking Dečki, zašto pijete Coca Colu
Coke Zero? Zero?
Tongues: We’re not! We’re drinking Krivo, pijemo Coca Colu,
Coke, mate. frajeru.
Eye: Well, it says Coke Zero on Pa na boci piše Coca Cola
the bottle. Zero.
Tongues: Well, they must have put Pa sigurno su se zabunili i
Coke in the wrong bottle. stavili Coca Colu u običnu
bocu.
Eye: Whatever. Kakogod.
Tongue 1: Alright, eyeball, I tell you Ok, okašce, znaš šta? Zašto
what. Why don’t you try it, sam ne probaš, Sunčice? Oh,
sunshine? Oh, I forgot, you zaboravio sam, ne možeš! Jer
can’t! ‘Cause you don’t have nemaš usta, ha! Dakle, dok
a mouth, haha! Well, while mi pijemo Coca Colu, odi

17
 we’re busy drinking Coke, zuri u sunce ili ne znam, tako
why don’t you go stand in nešto!
front of a hairdryer or
something!
Tongue 2: Yeah, hairdryer or Da, zuri u sunce, ili tako
something! nešto!
end line: Real Coke taste – zero Pravi Coca Cola okus – nula
calories šećera
Table 1: Coca Cola advertisement transcript: Tongues and Eye (Youtube)

In the advertisements with the tongues and an eye, the point is to persuade the customers that
there is literally no difference in taste of regular Coca Cola and Coca Cola Zero.
On the first hearing of the commercials, the most noticeable is the formal tone of an eye and
more colloquial language and British accent of the tongues. It was similarly synchronized in
the Croatian language, but the condescending tone of the eye which approached tongues like
he knows everything was lost; in the Croatian version it seems like the eye is just curious.
According to the skopos theory, the final goal of the commercial was maintained when
translated into Croatian; persuading the potential customers that Coca Cola Zero tastes just
like regular Coca Cola. In the Croatian translation, the translators kept the product’s label
more formal, calling it “Coca Cola Zero”, instead of “Cola Zero”, which would be more
appropriate for colloquial language. However, the translation of “stand in front of a hairdryer”
was translated to “zuri u sunce”, which is easier to understand and more appropriate than
literal translation. In this case, translators invented the whole new concept which was well
accepted in the Croatian market. The Croatian translators managed to keep the humorous tone
by translating “eyeball” as “okašce”, and “sunshine” as “sunčice”. Even though those
expressions are not common in the Croatian language, in this case they fit into the whole story
quite well and there was no need to invent new terms or use more formal words.

English Croatian
Eye: I am so beautiful, yes, I am! Kako sam divan, baš jesam!
Tongue: It’s slipping! It’s slipping! Pazi, klizi! Klizi!
Eye: Stupid tongues… Hey, what Glupi jezici… Hej dečki, što
are you guys drinking? vi to pijete?
Tongue: Oh, we’re drinking Coke, Pa pijemo Coca Colu, frajeru,
mate, aren’t we? jel tako?
Eye: Haha, no, you’re not. It says Hehe, ne ne pijete, na bočici
Coke zero on the bottle. piše Coca Cola zero.
Tongue: You know, we don’t like you Pa, nisi nam baš drag, okane.
eyeball, you know why? A znaš zašto?
Eye: Why? Zašto?

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Tongue: Because you are a big, fat Jer si veliki debeli lažov!
liar!
Eye: Oh! I am not fat! Ha? E, pa debeo nisam!
end line: Real Coke taste – zero sugar Pravi Coca Cola okus – nula
šećera.
Table 2: Coca Cola advertisement transcript: Liar (Youtube)

The second advertisement named “Liar” was translated literally and again the crucial point
was successfully transferred to the Croatian language. The strategies of translation used in
these advertisements are: literal translation, expansion, substitution and borrowing.

4.2. Becks beer

Becks is a German brand of beer famous for its advertisements that emphasize the fact that it
is a beer made of only 4 natural ingredients: barley-malt, hops, yeast and brewing water.
Becks ran its advertising campaign with the theme of “Different by choice” in 2008,
“concentrating on objects, places and individuals who have achieved success by setting their
own rules” and rebelling against the conventional rules (Dahlen, Lange, Smith 442:2010).

English Croatian
The painters who said no to brushes Slikari koji su rekli “ne” četkicama
The city that said no to sleep Grad koji je rekao “ne” spavanju
The skirt that said no to knee high Suknja koja je rekla “ne” skrivenim
koljenima
The punks who said no to pop culture Pankeri koji su rekli “ne” pop kulturi
The carnival that said no to clothes Karneval koji je rekao “ne” umjerenosti
The beer that said no to compromise Pivo koje je reklo “ne” kompromisima
No to anything but natural ingredients “Ne” svemu osim prirodnim sastojcima
Different by choice Namjerno drugačiji
Table 2: Becks Beer advertisement: Different by choice (Youtube)

The strategy that was mostly used in this translation is literal translation, since there was no
cultural breach that required the advertisement to be adapted. Still, the translator has the
choice to translate the text according to his own preferences, so the slogan could have been
translated in a different way, for example “Mi biramo biti drugačiji”, but “Namjerno
drugačiji” is shorter, catchy and has the same meaning as the original. Moreover, the phrase
“Carnival that said no to clothes” could have been translated as “Festival koji je rekao ne
odjeći”, but the translator chose a different option, he modulated that phrase, and still the

19
sense of the original remained the same. With slight changes, the translator managed to make
the translation sound natural in the Croatian language.

4.3. Milka chocolate

Milka is a brand of chocolate that originally comes from Switzerland, so its advertisements
are done in German language. Still, there are English advertisements for Milka that strongly
resemble the Croatian advertisements, like in the example in Table 4.

English Croatian
It’s a tale so magical, the only way to start it Ova priča je tako čarobna, da može započeti
is “Once upon a time…” So, once upon a samo riječima: “Jednom davno”. Dakle,
time a lilac cow was born. Everyone knew jednom davno rodila se ljubičasta kravica.
she was special in some way, but how? Not Svima je bilo jasno da je kravica posebna. Ali
maths… Not athletics… Not games…. Then, u čemu? Matematika joj nije išla od ruke.
when everyone least expected it, she revealed Sport joj nije ležao. A nije bila dobra ni u
her amazing gift. The lilac cow was really igrama. A onda, kada su svi to najmanje
good at nudging. Wow, could that cow očekivali, pokazala je svoj čudesan dar.
nudge! And everytime she nudged, she dared Ljubičasta kravica bila je nevjerojatno dobra
us to be just a little bit more tender. Milka. u gurkanju. O, kako je samo gurkala ta
Dare to be tender. kravica! I svakim svojim gurkanjem poticala
nas je da budemo nježniji jedni prema
drugima. Milka. Usudi se pokazati nježnost.
Table 4: Milka Advertisement: Nudge

In this commercial we can see a strategy of expansion, which is connected with the previously
mentioned need to explain a product/service in more detail in the Croatian language. While in
the English version the text is shortened “Not maths… Not athletics… Not games….”, in the
Croatian text it is explained differently “Matematika joj nije išla od ruke. Sport joj nije ležao.
A nije bila dobra ni u igrama.” (see Table 4). This expansion is a form of paraphrase, in which
the translator used different words to make the original meaning clearer, and it goes in line
with the visual video part of the advertisement. If the translator used shorter form: “Ne u
matematici…ni u sportu…a ni u igrama”, to answer the question “Ali u čemu?”, the listener
would probably be confused since it is not a typical way of responding to such a question in
the Croatian language. By explaining and expanding the text, the translator managed to make
the text sound more like a “try-to-guess” question. In the line “she dared us to be just a little
bit more tender”, the focus is to give more tenderness than we usually do. In Croatian text
“poticala nas je da budemo nježniji jedni prema drugima” the focus is on giving more

20
tenderness and showing it to each other, because it simply would not sound natural in the
Croatian language if we would omit “jedni prema drugima”. This is another example of
expansion, which is conditioned by the naturalness of the Croatian language. In some cases,
the translator into Croatian must expand and paraphrase the text in order to avoid the sense of
awkwardness. The translation of “nudge” as “gurkanje” sounds a bit clumsy, but it is hard to
find an equivalent that would sound more natural in the Croatian language. Other options
would be “pogurivanje”, “bockanje”, and “poticanje”.
The translation strategies used in this advertisement are expansion, modulation and literal
translation.

4.4. Orbit

Orbit is a brand of sugar-free chewing gum enjoyed by millions of people around the world.
The slogan of Orbit in English is “Just Brushed Clean Feeling” or “A Good Clean Feeling”,
while in Croatian it is “Za zdrave zube i lijep osmijeh” and sometimes followed by “Jedi, pij,
žvači Orbit”.

English Croatian subtitles

Look, lunch is over so…this is over. Whoa, Gledaj, ručak je gotov i….ovo među nama je
whoa, is this a break up? Shhhhh, don’t make gotovo. Čekaj, čekaj, je li ovo raskid? Je li
this any harder. Well, I’m not leaving! ovo raskid? Pssssst, nemoj da ovo bude još
teže. E pa, ja ne odlazim!
transcript:
Raskinite s ostacima hrane! Za čiste i zdrave
zube – jedi, pij, žvači Orbit.
Table 5: Orbit: Is this a break-up? (NajReklame)

An example of advertisement named “Is this a break up?” is usually longer in original English
version, but for the purpose of translation comparison only the shorter version was listed in
the Table 5. Also, this translation was not synchronized like in most of other commercials, but
written in subtitles. The reason behind it may be that the famous Spanish actor Antonio
Banderas appears and talks in the advertisement. It would appear awkward to Croatians to
hear a foreign celebrity speaking Croatian in the advertisement, so these kinds of commercials
are usually not synchronized. In this example, the translation is mostly literal. It is visible in
the word “Look”, which was translated to “Gledaj”, even though “Slušaj”, or simply “Gle”
may be more appropriate in the colloquial Croatian language. Moreover, the translation of

21
“break-up” as “raskid” does not affect the understanding of the point, but it is more common
to say “prekid” in colloquial Croatian. The translation of “Whoa, whoa” was adapted to
Croatian more formally as “Čekaj, čekaj”, which could have been translated as “hej, hej”, or
“ček, ček”, but in my opinion it was translated very well because it sounds better and it kept
the original meaning. The translation strategies used in this advertisement are expansion,
literal translation and modulation.

English Croatian
Song playing – no text Jeste li primjetili da vas ono što pojedete prati
kamo god krenuli? Poslije jela, opasnost od
karijesa raste. Gume za žvakanje Orbit.
Podižu razinu pH vrijednosti u Vašim ustima
i tako smanjuju rizik od karijesa. Orbit – Za
zdrave zube i lijep osmijeh.
Table 6: Orbit: Whiten up your day! (Youtube and NajReklame)

This example shows the discrepancy between the English and the Croatian version. In the
English version, there is no text, only the song in the background of the video, while in the
Croatian version the video and the song is accompanied by the text. In this case, there is no
real translation, but the whole new text that was originally written in Croatian. Again, the
need to explain and offer a product/service by using text/words is visible in the Croatian
culture. In some commercials, it is visible through expansion, while in some the marketing
experts come up with a whole new story to advertise a product. Since there is no translation
done here, we can say that translators and copywriters sometimes have to face the challenge
of being creative and inventing a new story that fits the video, if the advertisers require that
kind of extended version of the advert. Moreover, it is possible to find the same
advertisements in different languages, which were translated differently, and in that way the
translator can get more ideas on how to adapt this particular advertisement to a certain market.

4.5. Old Spice

Old Spice is an American brand of hygiene products for men, including deodorants, body
washes, shampoos, and soaps. Old Spice launched two successful advertising campaigns in
2010: “The Man Your Man Could Smell Like” and “Odor Blocker”. One of them, starring
Terry Crews, with his shouting voice and muscular figure invites men to use Old Spice body
that blocks body odour for 16 hours. Unlike in the Old Spice example, this advertisement is

22
not written in subtitles, even though a famous American actor appears in it. Since he is
shouting, it was more important to leave an impression of urgency by synchronising it into the
Croatian language. The advertisement includes humour typical for other advertisements in the
same campaign, emphasizing the power and strength of men.

English Hrvatski Own translation

- Old Spice Odor Blocker - Jesi li se ikad zapitao - Novi Old Spice gel za
body wash is so powerful kako pojačati svoju tuširanje nokautira sve
it can block BO for 16 muškost za vrijeme neugodne mirise čak do 16
hours. Its blocking powers tuširanja? Pokušaj to sati! Skoro je moćniji od
are as powerful as me! napraviti ovako! mene!
- Yeah, it is. - Ili isprobaj Old Spice. - Možda čak i je.
- Who said that? Is that - Tako je. Kad se - Tko je to rekao? Moj lijevi
my left bicep? No, it was tuširaš prestani biceps? Ma ne, to su moje
my aaabdominals. naprezati ruke. Ili plooočice!
P p P p P POWER. puupak.
(singing) S s S s S SNAGA. S s S s S SNAGA.
Table 7: Old Spice Odor Blocker advertisement (Youtube)

The crucial message of this English advertisement is the power of blocking odours that are
similar to the strength of the man in the video, while the Croatian translation promotes a
message that the new Old Spice body wash gives you more masculinity and strength. The fact
that the new Old Spice blocks body odours for 16 hours is not even mentioned, the translator
omitted this piece of information. The translator also changed the whole text of the original,
and it is not possible to make a comparison of these advertisements. There was no cultural
reason behind changing the text, and it would probably make more sense if it was translated
literally with some minor changes, like it is suggested in Table 7. Translators are usually
advised to avoid literal translation when translating humor and puns, and they have to be extra
creative in these types of translations, but in this case it would be appropriate to slightly adapt
the text to the spirit of Croatian colloquial language and translate it almost literally. The
Croatian version is also less compatible with the video than the original, because of the
translator’s decision to invent a new text instead of holding on to the original. In this case, the
literal translation would be a better choice because it keeps the original sense of humour that
is common to other advertisements in the same campaign, and because the literal translation
would contain all the new information on this product. The strategy used in this “translation”
is omission. We cannot talk about other strategies since the texts are different from each other
and it cannot be considered a translation, but a new text.

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4.6. Schweppes

Schweppes is a brand of beverage that got its name after J. Schweppe, who invented
carbonated soda water in Switzerland. In 2015, Schweppes launched a new creative
advertising campaign under the name of “Separating men from boys, and women from girls”.
The campaign aims to seize the opportunity to win the attention of adults who enjoy drinking
soft drinks.

Engleski Hrvatski
Boys are proud of their trophies Dječacima su važni trofeji
Men are proud of their life Muškarci znaju što je u životu važno
Separating men from boys since 1783. Za muškarce, ne za dječake. Od 1783.

Girls get attention Djevojke privlače pažnju

Women get love Žene su voljene
Separating women from girls since 1783. Za žene, ne za djevojčice. Od 1783.

Girls are afraid of the dark Djevojke se boje mraka

Women enjoy it Žene u mraku uživaju.
Separating women from girls since 1783. Za žene, ne za djevojčice. Od 1783.

Girls draw hearts Djevojke crtaju srca

Women steal them Žene srca osvajaju
Separating women from girls since 1783. Za žene, ne za djevojčice. Od 1783.

Table 8: Schweppes: Seperating men from boys, and women from girls campaign (Youtube)

These short examples of different advertisements are very well adapted to the spirit of the
Croatian language. The meaning of the original idea behind the advertisements remained the
same, and it sounds natural. It is also compatible with the video; the translator managed to
keep the length of the text similar to the original. There are elements of literal translation in
this example, but the translator mostly paraphrased and modulated the target text and in that
way he brought the original idea of the commercial to the customers. The slogan of a new
campaign is also modulated and chopped in two short statements, unlike the one in the
original.

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4.7. Grawe insurance company

Grawe is an insurance company founded in Austria. It has its subsidiaries all over the Europe,
and it was the first international insurance company in Croatia.

English Croatian
Oh, hello! Congratulations! What has just O, dobar dan! Čestitamo! Dogodio vam se
happened to you is – life. This very lucky život. Niti ne znate koliko se stvari moralo
little guy ensured that it is going to be you. poklopiti da vam se to osigura. Baš ovaj mali
And all that on one planet that insured that sretnik osigurao je da ćete to biti vi. I to na
among 300 billions of them just in our jednom planetu koji je to osigurao između
galaxy, and those before you, ensured by 300 milijardi samo u našoj galaksiji. A oni
surviving all the diseases; well, all the prije vas, osigurali su to na način da su
adversities. But they insured themselves a preživjeli sve bolesti, ma, sve nedaće. Ali
partner. And so, it happened to you. Life. Can osigurali su si partnera. I eto, dogodio se baš
we just ask you something while you’re here? vama. Život. Zapravo, da vas nešto pitamo,
What could you do? What could you teach kad ste već tu. Što biste mogli napraviti? Što
somebody? Who do you love? Are you doing biste mogli nekoga naučiti? Koga volite? A
anything to for it? Do you live for real? When što činite po tom pitanju? Živite li zaista?
are you planning to start? In fact, you don’t Kada planirate početi? U stvari, ne trebate
have to answer. We’re here for all the plans nam odgovarati. Uz vas smo, u što god
you have. Grawe – insurance on your side. krenuli. Grawe – osiguranje na Vašoj strani.
Table 9: Grawe Insurance Company: Questions (Youtube)

Even though it is rare to find the name of a translator of an advertisement, we managed to find
it for this example. The only “problem” is that it was listed under the copywriter, while it is
obvious that this text is a translation. According to Business Dictionary, copywriter is a
professional who composes headings, sub-headings, and body copy of advertisements,
brochures, catalogues, direct mail offers, product literature, etc. Some copywriters work
independently while others are employed by the advertising agencies5. Therefore, the
difference between the copywriter and a translator is that a copywriter is a person who writes
the text used in advertisement, while the translator translates the text in the advertisement
from one language to another.
This advertisement is specific for the repetition of the word “ensure”, or in Croatian
“osigurati”, throughout the whole text. In the beginning, the translator used a strategy of
expansion through the sentence “Niti ne znate koliko se stvari moralo poklopiti da vam se to
osigura.” which does not exist in the original text. Moreover, the Croatian text is mostly

5
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/copywriter.html

25
literal translation, as well as the slogan in the end. These types of advertisements are usually
general, simple, appealing to people’s emotions and can be used in many different countries
and cultures. There is no challenge for the translator here, just plain transfer of meaning
through languages.

4.8. Voltaren Gel

Voltaren Gel is used to treat joint pain caused by osteoarthritis pain. This example was chosen
to show the differences and similarities of advertising medical products in English and
Croatian language and culture.

English Croatian
Osteoarthritis pain? Muče li vas bolovi u zglobovima?
Try new Voltaren Osteogel 12 hourly! It Voltaren Emulgel s dvostrukom jačinom! Gel
concentrates relief right at the source of pain. koji omogućuje ublažavanje bolova u
Unlike tablets, that first go into the stomach, zglobovima do 12 sati! Vi uživajte u danu, a
Voltaren Osteogel 12 hourly with double vašu bol u zglobovima ublažit će Voltaren
strength is applied directly to the joint to give Emulgel.
you up to 12 hours of pain relief, fight pain Voltaren Emulgel – učinak koji traje do 12
and inflammation all day long, and do more sati.
with your day! Prije upotrebe pažljivo pročitati uputu o
New Voltaren Osteogel 12 hourly – the lijeku, a o rizicima ili nuspojavama upitajte
ONLY gel for 12 hours of pain relief. svog liječnika ili ljekarnika.

Table 10: Voltaren Osteogel 12 hourly (Youtube)

In the beginning of this translation, there is an expansion; the Croatian version asks a direct
question to the viewer, while the English original is subtler. Then, we can see a hard sell
approach in the original, which says “Try new Voltaren Osteogel 12 hourly!”, while the
Croatian version just names the product. Perhaps it would be better to be more direct and
translate it as in the original text: “Isprobajte novi Voltaren Emulgel i osjetite dvostruko
olakšanje od bolova u zgobovima koje traje čak do 12 sati!” (Own translation).
Moreover, the English and the Croatian version differ in the part where the video shows that
tablets go first into the stomach, and Voltaren Osteogel is applied directly to the painful joint.
This is omitted from the Croatian version, and the reason behind it may be in the last part that
is added to all pharmaceutical commercials in Croatia. Since the commercials are charged by
their length, it makes more sense to shorten the commercial to save money. This warning to
ask your doctor or pharmacist, and read the instructions before using the medicine is

26
obligatory in Croatia in order to avoid negative side-effects and in that way pharmaceutical
companies protect themselves from being sued.
The English version emphasizes that Voltaren Osteogel is the only gel that relieves pain for
12 hours, it was omitted from the Croatian version. The strategies used in this translation are
omission, expansion and adaptation.

4.9. Philips: Perfect Care Elite Silence Steam Generator Iron

This advertisement was chosen to present the translation for advertising of technology. Philips
has a slogan “Innovation and you”, which remains untranslated in Croatian advertisements.

English Croatian
A revolutionary new way of ironing Revolucionaran nov način glačanja
Innovative technologies Inovativne tehnologije
OptimalTEMP Tehnologija OptimalTEMP
Large detachable water tank Velik odvojiv spremnik za vodu
Quiet and Ultra light iron Tiho i iznimno lagano glačalo
Philips presents Philips vam predstavlja
Philips PefectCare Elite Silence Philips PefectCare Elite Silence
Ultimate performance with Silence steam Najbolji rezultati uz tehnologiju Silence
technology steam
Linen Cotton Wool Denim Lan Pamuk Vuna Traper
Ultimate gliding performance Savršeno glatko klizanje
Powerful steam in a lightweight iron Snažna para u laganom glačalu
Perfect steam conditions for ultra fast ironing Savršena para za izuzetno brzo glačanje
Safe to leave the iron directly on the board Glačalo se sigurno može ostaviti izravno na
dasci za glačanje
Sound absorbing platform Platforma koja upija zvuk
Smart control processor Procesor za pametnu kontrolu
Ultra high steam output Izuzetno snažan mlaz pare
Steam chambers break droplets into vapor Komore za paru kapljice vode pretvaraju u
mist izmaglicu
Revolutionary High Capacity Cyclone Revolucionarna iznimno snažna ciklonska
komora
No water dripping Bez kapanja vode
Exclusive 3 Silencing Steam Filters Tri ekskluzivna tiha filtera za paru
Optimal temperature and ultimate steam Optimalna temperature i iznimno snažna para
power
Iron from jeans to silk, no adjustments Glačajte sve od trapera do svile, prilagodba
needed nije potrebna
Thanks to OptimalTEMP Zahvaljujući tehnologiji OptimalTEMP
Ultra-light Iron Izuzetno lagano glačalo
Easy vertical steaming for all delicates Okomiti mlaz pare za glačanje osjetljivih
tkanina
Philips PefectCare Elite Silence Philips PefectCare Elite Silence
Ultimate performance with Silence steam Najbolji rezultati uz tehnologiju Silence

27
technology steam
Innovation for you Philips Savjet za održavanje za dulju trajnost
Indikator automatski javlja kada je potrebno
očistiti kamenac (svaka 2 do 3 mjeseca)
Jednostavno skidanje poklopca za otklanjanje
nečistoća
Innovation 4 you Philips
Table 11: Philips: Perfect Care Elite Silence Steam Generator Iron (Youtube)

The name of the product: Philips PefectCare Elite Silence is not translated. This is specific for
the names of technology devices, appliances and cars: they are usually standardized in the
English language. The comparison of these two text shows that this is a literal translation.
There are some borrowings, mostly the words connected to the particular new technology that
is advertised, like OptimalTEMP, Silence steam, etc. It is translated as “tehnologija Silence
steam”, “tehnologija OptimalTEMP”, because it is connected to this particular product and
the Croatian equivalent does not exist. Also, its meaning was explained in detail in other parts
of the text: “Iron from jeans to silk, no adjustments needed”, and ”Exclusive 3 silencing steam
filters”. There are many repetitions in this advertisement, and it is important to stay consistent
in the translation in those cases. There is an expansion in the Croatian version in the end of
the advertisement, while the English version is shorter; the longer version was not found on
the Internet. When translating terminology connected to technology it may be helpful to
compare it to other similar product translations and be guided by the strategies that previous
translators used. If it is not a humorous or creative advertisement, but just informative, it is, in
my opinion, better to stick to simple solutions: literal translation and borrowings.

4.10. Oreo cookies

Oreo is an American brand of chocolate sandwich cookies which became well known all over
the world. This brand is interesting because it stands out in a line of other very similar
products, and it owns its popularity mostly to advertising. Oreo advertising experts have
launched many successful campaigns, and one of them is “Twist, lick, dunk”, which targets
young children and their parents (Sacks 2015).

English Croatian
Now, daddy, I’m here to explain to you how - Dođi tata, pokazat ću ti kako se jede Oreo.
to eat an Oreo. Don’t laugh, it’s very hard. Pazi, jako je teško. Prvo ga zavrtiš…
First, you twist it. You lick it, mmmm... You - Da vidim!

28
don’t have to mmm, but I just can’t help - Op, op, op, op, op… Onda ga poližeš,
myself. Then you put them back together, mmmm. Ne moraš reći mmm, ali ja baš
because they’re married. Then you put it in moram. Onda si daju pusu, umočiš u mlijeko
the milk, and you eat it. i onda ga pojedeš.
- Can I try? - Mogu ja?
- No. - Ne.
- Why? - A zašto?
- I don’t think you’re ready yet. - Mislim da još nisi spreman.
Only Oreo. Oreo. Od sada po trajno sniženoj cijeni.
Table 12: Oreo Cookies (Youtube)

These examples are different for the actors in the video, but the idea, setting and the text is
almost the same. It was possible to find only British English version, and it probably differs
from the American version, which is not accessible on the Internet. The translation is literal
with some modulations and paraphrases in order to sound more natural in the Croatian
language. Oreo’s slogan was “Milk’s favourite cookie”, which was literally translated to
Croatian as “Mlijeku omiljen keks”.

4.11.OMV

OMV is an international gas company, and Table 13 lists a short and humorous example of an
advertisement for a carwash at OMV stations.

English Croatian
- Are we there yet? - Jesmo stigli?
- Huh? - Ah, konačno. Ha?!
- Are we there yet? Oh, finally! A carwash! - Autopraonica! Ma što kažeš? Ajmo se
What do you say, let’s take a shower! otuširat’!
- I smell fine. No way I’m going in there. - Ja dobro mirišem, nema šanse da uđem
- Oh, you don’t know what you’re missing. unutra.
Wash the donkey, wash the donkey. - Ne znaš što propuštaš. Operi me, operi me.
Table 13: OMV: Shrek (Youtube)
The strategy used here is literal translation. The animated film Shrek was also synchronized,
and the language that the characters use is colloquial and informal, just the way it was used in
the translation of this advertisement. In the end, the translator modulated the line “wash the
donkey” into “operi me”. Again, the translation process seems very simple because there is a
lot of literal translation, and it only had to be adapted to sound informal in the Croatian
version.

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4.12. Felix Sensations

Felix is a brand of cat food produced by the Purina company. Purina’s slogan is “Your Pet,
Our Passion”, which is omitted from the Croatian version of advertisement.

English Croatian
Hello? Strange…Felix? Hm, baš čudno. Felix?
- Clever Felix! He’ll do anything for his new - Pametna maca Felix. Nema toga što ne bi
Sensation Sauce surprise. Flavorful sauces napravio za fantastic vrećicu punu sočnih
meet meaty pieces. Deliciously surprising. mesnih komadića koje obožava. Felix. Tko je
Clever cats get Felix. pametna maca?
Purina. Your Pet, Our Passion.
Table 14: Felix Sensation (Youtube)

The strategies used in this example are paraphrase, omission, and borrowing. Unlike the Old
Spice example, here the translator invented a new text that is similar to the original, and
makes sense in the target language. Even though the idea behind “Clever cats get Felix” and
“Tko je pametna maca?” is maybe not the same, that does not matter. It sounds natural, since
it is a typical way of sweet-talking to pets or babies in Croatia, which was also taken from the
English language by the constant explosion to the foreign media. The example for borrowing
is “fantastic vrećica”, which is not mentioned in the original text. The translator may have
simply written “Nema toga što ne bi napravio za novu vrećicu…” The name of the product
“Sensation Sauce” is omitted, as well as the information that meaty pieces are packed in
flavorful sauces.

4.13. Dove

Dove is a famous international brand for hair products, skin care and deodorants for both men
and women. This is an example of an advertisement for men that shows different stages of
growing up and incorporates the idea that you will use Dove when you are comfortable in
your skin, to make your skin comfortable into the story.

English Croatian
Get born, get slapped then cry out loud Čim se rodiš
Learn to walk and talk, make your parents Kreni u školu
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proud Dobar sportaš
Be good at sport, play hard, run fast Ne gubi kontrolu
Careful climbing the rope in gym class
Budi jak, diži uteg
Lift weights, be strong, know how to fight Kad je teško
Be safe and stay up all night
Be tough, be cool, be full of pride Noćna ptica, al' fin si dečko
Don't show your sensitive side Nađi zgodnu damu da ti kaže „Uzimam“

Go out with your friends but be a gentleman S njom imaj tri sina
too Svi kao i ti sam
Then find the perfect girl who'll say, "I do"
Go check out a noise and never be scared Pokosi travu, radi nešto novo
Don't waste your life on the couch in your „Dušo, jel možeš otvoriti ovo?“
underwear
Postao si car jer si znao kako
Rake the leaves, trim the hedge and mow the Daleko dogur'o, to nije samo tako!
yard
"Honey can you open this jar?" Snimit' će o tebi dokumentarac
Have a kid it's time for a family Jer ti si muškarac
Before you know it you'll have three
- Sad kad ste odrasli, vrijeme je da se
Don't use a map, always know where you are osjećate ugodno.
Change a flat tire while they wait in the car Napokon je ovdje Dove men plus care – za
kožu kojoj je ugodno kao i vama.
You've reached a stage where you feel at ease
You've come this far and it wasn't a breeze
You can take on anything, of course you can
Because you're a man

- Now that you’re comfortable with who you

are, isn’t it time for comfortable skin?
At last, there’s Dove for men, introducing
Dove men plus care, new range of body and
face wash. Be comfortable in your own skin
Table 15: Dove for men: Superbowl commercial (Youtube and NajReklame)

In my opinion, the Croatian translation is interesting, and it fits the video very well. The
translator had to omit many lines to achieve that compatibility with the video. The text looks
like a song and the translator managed to preserve rhyme and rhythm. This example also
shows the creativity of a translator; their job is often to invent and create something new,
catchy, that sounds well and natural in the target language, but also meets the same purpose as
the original. There are many strategies in this translation: omission, cultural adaptation,
reduction, substitution, and literal translation. The translator omitted a big part of the text
probably because of the length of the video. The general meaning of the original song was

31
transferred successfully into the Croatian language; it says that after some life experiences
men start to feel comfortable in their own skin and be more confident. In the English version,
the narrator talks very fast, and the Croatian advertisers required the text to be shorter. To
keep the rhyme, the translator substituted some parts with the new text: “S njom imaj tri sina /
Svi kao i ti sam”, and “Snimit će o tebi dokumentarac / Jer ti si muškarac”. In the end,
translator omits the part about “being comfortable in one’s skin”, and reduces that part, as
well as the information that the ad offers a new range of body and face wash. The suggestion
for the different ending would be: “Sada kad se osjećate ugodno u svojoj koži, nije li vrijeme
da i vašoj koži bude ugodno?” (Own translation).
Before it introduced a line of products for men, Dove was mostly famous for hygiene care for
women. There is one of typical advertisements for Dove body wash, which emphasizes its
hydrating and nourishing care.
English Croatian
Dove invited women to a makeover…with a Dove je pozvao žene na makeover. No uz
difference. jednu sitnicu.
- Hi now! - Tuširanje?
- Hi! - Da, s novom Dove gel kremom za tuširanje.
- Would you like to have a free makeover? Nova Dove revolucionarna formula s našom
- Yeah, why not? najučinkovitijom njegom kože. Za mekšu i
- There you go. glađu kožu. Osjetite razliku nakon samo
- It’s a shower! jednog tuširanja.
But it’s a shower with a new Dove body Nova Dove gel krema za tuširanje. Mekša,
wash, with its new breakthrough formula. All glađa koža nakon samo jednog tuširanja.
it takes is just one shower for softer,
smoother skin.
- Really silky smooth. It’s awesome, I love it.
New Dove body wash. Softer, smoother skin
after just one shower.
Table 16: Dove body wash for women: Softer, smoother skin (Youtube)
The Croatian version is slightly shorter than the original, so the omitted part will not be
analysed. Firstly, there is a borrowing “makeover” that is successfully integrated in the
Croatian language and fits into this text. There is a lot of repetition in the Croatian version,
and it is one of the advertising strategies that is commonly used. Translators and advertisers
reduced the text in this advertisement, and omitted the part with the comments of women who
“tested” the quality of the product. Women like to hear advice and recommendations from
other women when it comes to skin care, and those parts should have been kept in the
Croatian version too. The reasons behind shortening of the advertisements are usually
economic. In the end, the translator used the strategy of literal translation.

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4.14. Slogan translations

The origin of the word “slogan” dates back to 16th century, and translated from Scottish
Gaelic means “army shout” (Dan 2015). It is a symbol for market competition; every
company fights for the supremacy and power to win over as many customers as possible, and
become a well-known brand. Table 17 lists different translation of slogans, and most of them
are translated literally. Even though copywriters and marketing experts need to put a lot of
effort to come up with a catchy, short and memorable slogan, translators often choose to just
“copy” it once it reaches a foreign market.

Brand English Croatian

Nikon At the heart of the image U srcu slike
L’Oreal Because I’m worth it Jer ja to zaslužujem
Michelin A better way forward Bolji način kretanja
Renault Make your time great Ususret uspjehu
American Express Do more / Service that’s Dobrodošli u svijet koji je
second to none jednostavan, fleksibilan i siguran
Don’t leave home without it! / My life. My Card.
/ My life. My card.
McCafe Choco Cookie Café Lose yourself to a Latte Slatko dok kažeš keks!
Latte
Nissan A revolution is coming / Plug 10 godina crossover revolucije
in to the revolution
Old Spice Smell like a man, man. Muški miris koji ti daje snagu!
Orbit Time to shine Za zdrave zube i lijep osmijeh
Coca Cola Open happiness Pokret za radost
Mastercard There are some things money Neke se stvari ne mogu kupiti
can't buy. For everything novcem. Za sve ostalo tu je
else, there's MasterCard. Mastercard.
Fiat 500 True legends don’t grow old: Istinske legende ne stare
they change

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Maybelline Maybe she’s born with it. Možda je rođena s tim. A možda
Maybe it’s Maybelline je to Maybelline
Schweppes For the experienced Za iskusne
Grawe Insurance Company Insurance on your side Osiguranje na Vašoj strani
Visa Everywhere you want to be Everywhere you want to be
Nike Just do it Just do it
Phillips Innovation and you Innovation and you
Oreo Milk’s Favourite Cookie / Mlijeku omiljen keks
Only Oreo
Snickers You’re not you when you’re Kad si gladan, nisi svoj
hungry
Nokia Connecting people Connecting people
Toffifee …there’s so much fun in Puno zabave kriju Toffifee
Toffifee!
Škoda Simply clever Simply clever
Wolkswagen Das Auto. Das Auto.
Calgon Washing machines live Perilica dulje živi uz Calgon!
Kit Kat longer with Calgon!
Have a break, have a Kit Kat Napravi pauzu, uzmi Kit Kat
Schauma It’s not me, it’s my Schauma To nisam ja, to je moja Schauma
Table 17: List of slogans translated from English to Croatian

As presented in the table, some brand slogans are so standardized and well known
that the translation is not needed. The motive behind this strategy is that all consumers are
familiar with the brand, and it is not necessary to adapt it to different cultures or languages.
Customers can simply enter the shop or browse the product/service online and they will notice
the slogan, which is always written in the same language – usually in English or German.
Small countries like Croatia cannot afford the luxury to leave their international brands
untranslated, because the language is not so well known.
Most of the slogans were translated by using the strategy of literal translation. It is
the easiest way, to simply transfer the meaning of a slogan into another language. This tells us
that English/American and Croatian markets and cultures are similar. Croatia, as well as
countries around her, tend to adopt a lot of western culture over the years, so it makes sense
that there is no need to adapt some advertising mottos to this particular market. Also, the
34
nature of the slogan is that it is simple, general and memorable, and it usually can fit into any
culture. Therefore, many of them are literally translated across many languages.
Other strategies that were used in slogan translations are modulation and
adaptation. Some companies are well organized and invest in marketing in every country
where they launch their products or services. Some of them are McDonalds, Becks, Coca
Cola, Red Bull, Meggle, and other companies which have strong franchises all over Europe,
or even the world. They can afford to create or adapt advertisements to every country’s
market. An example of adaptation and modulation is McDonalds’ new product Choco Cookie
Café Late: “Lose yourself to a late”, which was translated to Croatian as “Slatko dok kažeš
keks!” Sometimes advertisers and copywriters tend to invent a new creative slogan that is
connected to an original slogan with meaning, length or structure, and in that way merge the
domestic with the foreign. Many times that connection it is not visible, so it is not easy to tell
how the advertisers decide to translate or create a new slogan.

4.15. General conclusions on the strategies and challenges of translating advertisements

and slogans

Previous paragraphs presented different types of advertisements and their translations. The
first thing that comes to mind after a thorough review of different advertisements is that there
are many different kinds of products, as well as advertisements. Surprisingly, many of them
could have been translated literally and sound just fine in the Croatian language. One of the
reasons for that is that, in order to compare the translations, it was necessary to choose the
ones that look like translations. In that way, the selection of the analysed advertisements was
narrowed to mostly those that are similar in both languages. Another reason is that some of
them are written in subtitles, and have to follow the meaning of the spoken words. Also, as
already mentioned, some advertisements are simple and general, and there is no need to adapt
them to Croatian culture, only to the naturalness of the language. In order to sound natural,
many translations were only slightly modulated or paraphrased.

35
 The strategies used in translation of
advertisements
12
10
8
6
4
The strategies used in
2 translation of advertisements

Chart 1: The strategies used in translation of advertisements

There are different types of advertisements, which has to be taken into consideration while
analysing their translations. Informative and technical advertisements, with little creativity
and wordplay are usually translated literally. Creative advertisements usually give headaches
to translators and they present a challenge that a translator has to accept. Some of them are
written in songs and rhyme, and some of them are simple in original text, but if the company
marketing requires to come up with something more creative, the translator has to do the job
of a copywriter. In that case, it is necessary to make the text compatible with the video, and
the example with the Old Spice shows that sometimes it is better to translate advertisements
literally to avoid clash of the text, meaning and the video. The Croatian language is rich with
many possibilities and puns, and skilful translators know how to use it if the adaptation or
paraphrase is required. In order to keep the rhyme or rhythm in the advertisement, translators
should sometimes sacrifice some lines and focus on the general topic of the stanza to avoid
unnecessary piling of the text. The best example for keeping the rhyme and rhythm is Dove
advertisement for body wash for men.
The review of relevant literature informs us that reduction and expansion are often
found in poorly written translations, and once again this is proven through the analysis of
advertisement translations. Some translators omitted important information from
advertisements, while others added text to the video where there was just music in the
original. As mentioned, expansion is not a bad choice if it adds to the naturalness of the

36
language, as it was explained in some examples. However, omission was mostly connected
with poor quality and important information deficit. Therefore, it should be avoided when it
comes to omitting information connected to the quality and features of the advertised product.

Strategies used in slogan translations

Literal translation
Modulation
Adaptation
Standardization

Chart 2: Strategies used in slogan translations

Chart 2 presents translation strategies that are used for the translation of slogans. Again, there
are many cases of literal translation, and the most probable reason for it lies in the definition
of slogans. They are short and general, catchy and memorable, and those lines can simply be
shifted from language to language. The other strategies and their use when it comes to slogan
translation were thoroughly explained in the previous paragraph.
Slogans may seem easy to translate, but there is a greater responsibility behind translating a
slogan than translating an advertisement. One slogan is often repeated after all advertisements
in the same campaign or for the same product. Also, slogans are often general and have to
deal with the motto or the policy of the company, while advertisements are usually specific
and limited to only one product, product line, or service.

37
5. Conclusion

The analysis of translations of advertisements and slogans in this M.A. thesis is based on the
translation from English into the Croatian language. The main source of data for the
comparison was the Internet, specifically pages featuring advertisement videos (Youtube and
NajReklame). The slogans were collected by browsing the Internet and the webpages of
different companies, or by comparing the advertisements. We tried to find as many different
types of advertisement as possible, so there are advertisements for hygiene products, food and
drinks, an insurance company, home appliances, a medical gel, etc. Further analysis should be
done for the translation of other categories like cars, technology, services, etc.
The greatest number of analysed advertisements were under the topic of food or
drinks. Those are simple yet creative advertisements in the English language, and they were
mostly slightly adapted to the Croatian target market. The strategy of literal translation is
usually not the best option for translation in general, but in the case of advertisement
translation it has proved to be a good option. If the advertisement is well done in the original
video, and can fit into the target market with some minor changes, the marketing experts
would rather save money for something else and hire a person who would only make the
advertisement sound good in the Croatian language. Moreover, European countries tend to
adopt a lot of western culture through the media, and it includes advertising as well. We do
not choose to make our own advertisements for foreign products if it is apparent that people
like to watch foreign videos and adopt their ideas very quickly.
The analysis of hygiene product advertisements has shown that translators can
sometimes do more harm than good it they do not take advertising text seriously. The
example with the Old Spice may have been well accepted in the American market, but when
adapted to the Croatian market, it got lots of laughs and comments. Advertisements should be
remembered for something good and witty, and not for a bad translation or poor jokes. Also,
the omission of important information or special new features of the products should never be
omitted. The translation of the Dove for men advertisement reminded us that the effort to
keep the original idea behind the advertisement text pays off. The Croatian language is rich
with many possibilities to use puns, paraphrase, and in that way connect the customers’
feelings and memories with the advertised product or service.
When it comes to technical translations, for example for home appliances, it is clever
to be consistent with terminology and new features of the products. For medical
advertisements, the translator should be familiar with the fact that all of them have extended

38
text in the end with the warning to be informed by the doctor or pharmacist of the side effects.
A translator of advertising texts must also be familiar with the general features of
advertisements that were listed in the theoretical overview, and get the instructions of the
marketing on how to translate or adapt the advertisement.
The translator’s name is almost never mentioned in the Croatian webpages with
advertisements. In the only example where the name of a translator was mentioned, it was
written under the copywriter. Further analysis should be done on the way Croatian companies
hire translators of advertisements and the fees they receive for their job. The translator’s task
is usually connected with the translations of books, webpages, subtitles, documents, etc., and
it is difficult to find something about the translation of advertisements. The reason for it may
be that the whole crew behind the making of an advertisement is usually never listed
anywhere. Advertisements are often considered as something boring or annoying, in between
the media that we really want to watch or search for, so they have to be short and concise,
memorable and direct, with no room for extra information. Still, the webpages that are made
for searching the advertisements should at least name the people who stand behind them, as it
is usually done for music videos and movie trailers.

39
References

Alwazir, W. Global Marketing Strategy: Strandardization vs. Globalization. Successful Global

Marketing. 11th December 2013 Web.
http://successfulglobalmarketing.weebly.com/untitled/global-marketing-strategy-
standardization-vs-adaptation
Accessed 15 May 2017

Business Dictionary. http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/copywriter.html Accessed

10 June

Bosco, G. Translation Techniques. Interpro. Translation Solutions. 2015 Web. 11th June 2017
http://www.interproinc.com/blog/translation-techniques
Acessed 11 May 2017

Cambridge online dictionary. Web. dictionary.cambridge.org. Accessed 5 May 2017.

Cui, J. (2009). The Goal of Advertisement Translation: With Reference to C-E/E-C

Advertisements. Journal of Language & Translation 10-2: 7-33

Chidiac, R. S., Saliba, M. T. (2016). Influential Translations of Advertisements from English

to Arabic for Arab Women Consumers. The European Proceedings of Social and Behavioural
Sciences: 2357-1330

Christelle, K. F. (2012). The translation of advertisements: the issues of semiotics, symbolism

and persuasion. Master thesis.

Dan, L. (2015). Techniques for the Translation of Advertising Slogans. Discourse as a form of
multiculturalism in literature and communication, Arhipelag XII Press, Tirgu Mures

Dahlen, M., Lange, F., Smith, T., (2010). Marketing Communications: A brand narrative
approach. Web.
https://books.google.hr/books/about/Marketing_Communications.html?id=rLt48Xwn
W1cC&redir_esc=y
Accessed 1 May 2017

40
Džanić, M. (2014). The semiotics of contemporary advertising messages: Decoding visuals.
Jezikoslovlje, 14.2-3: 475-485

Guerra, A. F. (2012). Translating culture: Problems, strategies and practical realities. Art and
Subversion No 1, Year 3, 12/2012

Hornikx J., O'Keefe, D.J. (2009). Adapting Consumer Advertising Appeals to Cultural
Values. A meta-Analytic Review of Effects on Persuasiveness and Ad Liking.
Communication Yearbook, 33: 39-71

Kuscu, S., Unlu, S. (2015). Teaching Translation: A suggested lesson plan on translation of
advertising through the use of authentic materials. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences
199: 407–414

Miletić, M. (2014). Odstupanja od hrvatske jezične norme u reklamnim letcima. Stručni rad

Mooij, M. (2013). Global Marketing and Advertising. Understanding Cultural Paradoxes,

SAGE Publications, Inc 2013-09-11

Obeidat, E. S. M. (2015). Translation Strategies in the English-Arabic e-Brochures of Baby

Care Products. Jordan Journal of Modern Languages and Literature Vol. 7 (2). 59-82

Owji, Z. (2013). Translation Strategies: A Review and Comparison of Theories. Translation

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Accessed 25 April 2017

Rogers, M. The difference between soft selling and hard selling. Affiliate Marketer Training.
25th May 2015 Web.
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Accessed 11 April 2017

Rumšiene, G. (2014). Semantic and Pragmatic Aspects of Slogan Translation. Methodological

study book for higher school students

41
Sacks, D. The Story of Oreo: How an Old Cookie Became a Modern Marketing Personality.
Fast Company. 23rd October 2014 Web.
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a-modern-marketing-personality
Accessed 10 June 2017

Smith, K. L. (2002). The Translation of Advertising Texts. A study of English-Language

printed advertisements and their Translations in Russian. Vol 1, Thesis submitted for the
degree of Doctor of Philosophy.

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Translation.

Xu, X. (2008). The Rhetoric and Translation of English Advertisement. International Journal
of Business and Management, Vol. 3, No.11

Valimohammadi, H. (2013). Strategies Used in Translation of Advertisement Slogans from

English to Persian. International Research Journal of Applied and Basic Sciences. Vol. 6 (3):
294-300

Zakhir, M. Translation procedures. Translation Directory. October 2008. Web.

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Accessed 12 April 2017

Resources for advertisement examples:

Coca Cola Zero transcript: Tongues and Eye:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W3GcniLaH4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3B4eZMwXiow

Coca Cola Zero transcript: Liar:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUlcjP-I_Mo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuepWGFOq5Y

Beck’s beer:
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmcQEx341Q0)

42
Milka: Nudge:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hvS21w_Q0w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoaH_jVXRY0

Orbit:

Orbit: Is this a break up?

http://www.najreklame.com/najbolje-reklame-i-tv-reklama/orbit/kako-antonio-banderas-
prekida-video_c95cbe221.html

Orbit: Whiten up your day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utadryTCINw
http://www.najreklame.com/najbolje-reklame-i-tv-reklama/orbit/oslobodite-se-neugodne-
pratnje-video_a517c55c7.html

Old spice:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wt7sCW9_DOc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEM3ta3tZ2E

Schweppes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qiMNYYqIdg

Grawe Insurance Company – “Questions”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fyGvDdeHKk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFUmiHeePn0

Votaren Gel
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dg9_MQHxpmw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyevTqICBx8

Philips: Perfect Care Elite Silence Steam Generator Iron

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WckmOR30Hu4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NM2M1ngYfo

Oreo cookie:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0rKn7X7UWk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQr-AjAxWp0

OMV –Shrek
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sU7w-arsU7g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KY578h5mctg

43
Felix Sensation
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlRD_JQsOCM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4yELrcJg1g

Dove

Dove for men – Superbowl commercial

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-Lc9Mhi9l0
http://www.najreklame.com/najbolje-reklame-i-tv-reklama/dove-za-muskarce/putovanje-do-
udobnosti-video_cfea856e1.html

Dove body wash for women

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ18Cy2mhGw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iscnNx3UHIk

44
Sažetak

U diplomskom radu proučavaju se prijevodi promidžbenih poruka i slogana na temelju

strategija koje se koriste za prevođenje promidžbenih poruka. Sve promidžbene poruke su
prevedene ili adaptirane s engleskog jezika na hrvatski jezik te analizirane prema strategijama
koje se najčešće koriste za prevođenje promidžbenih poruka. Nakon detaljnog pregleda
relevantne literature u području oglašavanja i prevođenja, usustavljene su strategije prema
kojima se analiziraju prijevodi. Glavni izvor podataka za uspoređivanje prijevoda je Internet,
a imena prevoditelja nisu navedena. Ime prevoditelja navodi se samo u jednoj od analiziranih
promidžbenih poruka, stoga nije moguće odrediti profesionalnost i kompetenciju prevoditelja.
Unatoč tome, temelju njihovih prijevoda, sličnosti između originalnog i prevedenog teksta i
na temelju ciljeva koji su postavljeni za sve promidžbene poruke, moguće je doći do
određenih zaključaka o kvaliteti tih prijevoda. Odabrane su promidžbene poruke za različite
proizvode i usluge koje su prevedene na različite načine kako bi se prikazala raznolikost
strategija prevođenja i izazova s kojima se prevoditelji susreću prilikom prilagođavanja
promidžbenih poruka hrvatskom tržištu.

Ključne riječi: promidžbene poruke, slogani, strategije prevođenja

45