In the world of branding, names are everything. They can make or break a company’s reputation, and the wrong name can have disastrous results.
While some businesses get it right, others have made some pretty amusing mistakes when it comes to their product names. Here are some of the funniest and most embarrassing branding mishaps of all time. Brace yourselves...
Honda Fitta - branding disaster nr 1
One of the most infamous examples of an unfortunate product name is the Honda Fitta. The Fitta was a small hatchback, released by Honda in Europe in the early 2000s. Unfortunately, the name Fitta is a slang term for female genitalia in many Scandinavian countries, leading to lots of controversy and embarrassment for Honda. Honda quickly renamed the car the Honda Jazz, and the Fitta name was never used again.
Mitsubishi Pajero - for single people?
Another classic example of a failed product name was the Mitsubishi Pajero. The Pajero is a popular SUV, but unfortunately, the name had a very different connotation in the UK. In British English, “Pajero” is a slang term for “wanker”, leading to a lot of confusion and amusement among British customers. The name was quickly changed to “Shogun” in the UK, though the Pajero name is still used in other countries.
Are you Portuguese?
The Ford Pinto was another product name that caused a lot of controversies. The Pinto was a small car released by Ford in the 1970s, but unfortunately, the name was already being used as a derogatory term for people of Portuguese descent. Ford had to quickly change the name of the car to the Ford Bobcat to avoid any further controversy.
My car stalled...the Chevrolet Nova
Another embarrassing product name mishap occurred with the Chevrolet Nova. The Nova was a popular car released by Chevrolet in the 1970s, but unfortunately, the name had a very different connotation in Spanish-speaking countries. In Spanish, “no va” means “it doesn’t go”, leading to a lot of confusion and embarrassment for Chevrolet. The Nova name was quickly changed to “Caribe” in Spanish-speaking countries, though the Nova name is still used in other countries.
Companies should always be careful when choosing a product name
The list of embarrassing product name mishaps goes on and on, but these are some of the most famous examples. From the Honda Fitta to the Mitsubishi Pajero, companies have made some pretty big mistakes when it comes to product naming. It’s a good reminder that companies should always be careful when choosing a product name, as even the most innocuous names can have hidden connotations in different languages and cultures.
How to create a brand name that works across borders? One funny memory...
When I worked as a senior designer at Landor Associates in London, we worked on a joint bank conglomerate in the Nordics. Naming was a big part of it. What made it hard was that the name had to not be more Swedish or Finnish, Danish or Norwegian, but appeal to all countries equally. The client said that the best option would be to choose a name that sounded Latin to not leave any of the countries feeling like outsiders. He suggested the Latin name for the Nordic Pinetree, which was not a bad idea since trees have often successfully been used to symbolise stability and steady growth; very fitting for a large bank indeed.
The problem arose when he pronounced it out loud: The Pinus Bank. Pinus is NOT pronounced like “sinus” but rather like...you know, a male member. None of my colleagues could do anything but keep our eyes on the table and try to stifle our giggles. Thankfully, his suggestion did not pass, and the bank is nowadays called Nordea.
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The naked brand designer
Who am I? My name is Nina Ignatius. Welcome to my bare-it-all blog about branding and design.
I am delighted to be able to share my 30+ years of brand design expertise (and some unreal experiences from around the world too) with you.
I have worked with small, big, new, old, traditional and modern clients, all wanting to refresh an old brand or create a new one. My experience allows me to work with a wide array of clients to provide specific solutions to their branding needs.
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Disclaimer: as English is not my first or second language, I always use Grammarly and other AI tools to help write cohesive texts!
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