Can you guess a product - only with the text slogan - without additional picture/sound ?
Below you will find some German slogans.
And ? Where is the relevance to testing ?
Well, do you agree, that during testing we arrive at situations where we do not have always every info ? Why is this ?
One explanation could be:
Information transmits faster, if there is included pictures/sound or it is packed meaning into the sentences (e.g. by using proverbs, schema, concepts, categories, analogies, metaphors, associations, …).
But the problem may be, that recipients do not have access to this additional info (e.g. slogans from other countries).
So, read these slogans please. And find out if you can guess the products they advertise for (and eventually the companies) !
1. “Hey Dad, when I grow up, I also want to be square.”
2. “We wake up earlier.”
3. “We can do everything but speak Standard German.”
4. “With the second eye you see better.”
5. “Firm as a rock in the surge.”
6. “We demand and bring forward personalities.”
7. “Try it in a gentle way.”
8. “It was never so valuable as in these times.”
9. “If it makes you beautiful…”
10. “Well, is today already christmas ?”
DO NOT CONTINUE - STOP - THINK ABOUT THE SLOGANS !
the history to this post:
I read here some slogans from USA. From that there awoke the idea to collect some slogans from German speaking countries and present them to non-German people.
BTW:
- here you can find info that helps you (but for the sake of learning, click it later - if ever).
- since the target group is non German people, I will not translate this post yet into German
Erkan YILMAZ
at
1. “Hey Dad, when I grow up, I also want to be square.”
According to Huey Lewis and Sesame Street, its hip to be square. I have trouble imagining my children coming to me and saying they want to be a square like me when they grow up. This could be a slogan for a product that encourages responsibility in children or it could be making fun of “square” dads.
2. “We wake up earlier.”
At first, I thought this might have something to do with coffee. However, I think it is more likely connected to a company that works in the morning to have something ready for the customers early in the day. Could this be the Bundespost? DHL? McDonalds? The milkman?
This reminds me of the old US Army commercials with the tagline “We do more before 9 am than most people do all day.”
3. “We can do everything but speak Standard German.”
This must be for a company with bad grammar that can do everything else. Maybe this is for a super store (Hypermarket). I first thought of Wertkauf but then remembered that Wal-Mart bought them. And Wal-Mart failed in Germany because they tried to take what worked for them in the US and put it in a different context. I bet that the Wal-Mart executives in Germany could not speak Standard German. However, I don’t think that this slogan has anything to do with Wal-Mart or any other business imported into Germany from elsewhere.
4. “With the second eye you see better.”
I already have two eyes. Is this for binoculars? Or window cleaner? Laser eye surgery? It probably has something to do with helping us see better.
5. “Firm as a rock in the surge.”
This sounds like a slogan for an insurance company.
6. “We demand and bring forward personalities.”
A psychiatrist? They will bring forward your many personalities.
7. “Try it in a gentle way.”
I first think of laundry soap… or maybe fabric softner. It could also be for some personal hygiene product like shaving cream. If I should try it in a gentle way, then I assume that I am currently doing it in a rough way.
8. “It was never so valuable as in these times.”
Is this for finanical services? Or maybe this is a political slogan? Maybe this is a public service advertisment encouraging people to spend time with their loved ones.
9. “If it makes you beautiful…”
I always wanted to be beautiful. Is this makeup? Or clothes?
10. “Well, is today already christmas ?”
Let’s see. On Christmas we get gifts and maybe go to church. Some people may only go to church on Christmas and Easter. I think this add is either encouraging people to go to church or telling them that they can get lots of stuff. Those seem to be competing messages.
at
I think I only got #5 right.
I should have expected that #3 had something to do with the speech of people in southern Germany.
Ben
at
I am now wondering if “square” and “Spießer” have the same meaning in American and German culture.
In the US, the term “square” usually refers to a conservative (in regards to tradition) person that fits into the societal norms and is not in touch with the latest trends.
I did a little research on the web into the meaning of “Spießer” in German culture. Some information implied a definition similar to the American meaning for “square”. Others implied that a “Spießer” is a simple-minded lower class person.
In the context of the LBS ad, I suspect that the American “square” and German “Spießer” have similar connotations.
at
Hello Ben,
you scored pretty good - the slogans are very hard for non-German people (also more info (pic, sound) is missing).
1. “Hey Dad, when I grow up, I also want to be square.”
I am now wondering if “square” and “Spießer” have the same meaning in American and German culture.
In the US, the term “square” usually refers to a conservative (in regards to tradition) person that fits into the societal norms and is not in touch with the latest trends.
it has the same meaning like you just said.
Others implied that a “Spießer” is a simple-minded lower class person.
Well, this I did not mean/intend. But I will make another game out of this (see here). I am challenging from time to time the online translation services. So I will use this as another research case.
2. “We wake up earlier.”
about “army slogan”:
I found commercials of “Army Strong”, but no media about “We do more before 9 am than most people do all day.” - who knows, somebody has more luck ?
3. “We can do everything but speak Standard German.”
I should have expected that #3 had something to do with the speech of people in southern Germany.
Well, since you were in Germany, you know that dialect. Here some Swabian to help you remember the good, old times in Germany.
5. “Firm as a rock in the surge.”
seems this can be used in all countries. Do others also recognize this immediately ?
6. “We demand and bring forward personalities.”
A psychiatrist? They will bring forward your many personalities.
hehe, I hope they also achieve to get them out of my body. Wait, did you hear that voice ?
9. “If it makes you beautiful…”
I always wanted to be beautiful.
my nose is not one of my beautiful parts
Erkan
at
I found commercials of “Army Strong”, but no media about “We do more before 9 am than most people do all day.” - who knows, somebody has more luck ?
Army Strong is the US Army’s current advertising campaign. The “We do more before 9am…” was part of the long-running “Be All You Can Be” campaign. Another Army slogan I remember is “Get an edge on life.” And in tune with the “We do more…” idea, there was “What did you do today?”
[Erkan says:
Thank you Ben, and I was pleasantly surprised when I watched the Army video to see the “Sesame Street - Hip to be a square” video popping up, which you mentioned above.]