Showing posts with label Monavie. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Monavie. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

All Time Best Marketing Bloopers! David Lim, Auckland, New Zealand

Cracking an international market is a goal of most growing corporations. It shouldn't be that hard, yet even the big multi-nationals run into trouble because of language and cultural differences. For example...


The name Coca-Cola in China was first rendered as Ke-kou-ke-la. Unfortunately, the Coke company did not discover until after thousands of signs had been printed that the phrase means "bite the
wax tadpole" or "female horse stuffed with wax" depending on the dialect. Coke then researched 40,000 Chinese characters and found a close phonetic equivalent, "ko-kou-ko-le," which can be loosely translated as "happiness in the mouth."

In Taiwan, the translation of the Pepsi slogan "Come alive with the Pepsi Generation" came out as "Pepsi
will bring your ancestors back from the dead."

Also in Chinese, the Kentucky Fried Chicken slogan "finger-lickin' good" came out as "eat your fingers off."

When General Motors introduced the Chevy Nova in South America, it was apparently unaware that "no va" means "it won't go." After the company figured out why it wasn't selling any cars, it renamed the car in its Spanish markets to the Caribe.

Ford had a similar problem in Brazil when the Pinto flopped. The company found out that Pinto was Brazilian slang for "tiny male genitals". Ford pried all the nameplates off and substituted Corcel, which means horse.

When Parker Pen marketed a ballpoint pen in Mexico, its ads were supposed to say "It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you." However, the company mistakenly thought the spanish word "embarazar" meant embarrass. Instead the ads said that "It wont leak in your pocket and make you pregnant."

An American t-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the spanish market which promoted the Pope's visit. Instead of the desired "I Saw the Pope" in Spanish, the shirts proclaimed "I Saw the Potato."

Chicken-man Frank Perdue's slogan, "It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken," got terribly mangled in another Spanish translation. A photo of Perdue with one of his birds appeared on billboards all over Mexico with a caption that explained "It takes a hard man to make a chicken aroused."

Hunt-Wesson introduced its Big John products in French Canada as Gros Jos before finding out that the phrase, in slang, means "big breasts." In this case, however, the name problem did not have a noticeable effect on sales.

Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France called Cue, the name of a notorious porno mag.

In Italy, a campaign for Schweppes Tonic Water translated the name into Schweppes Toilet Water.

Matsushita Electric is promoting a new Japanese PC targeted at the Internet. Panasonic has developed a complete Japanese Web browser, and to make the system "user-friendly", licensed the cartoon character "Woody Woodpecker" as the "Internet guide." Panasonic eventually planned on a world version of the product.

A huge marketing campaign was to have introduced the product in Japan last week. The day before the ads were to be released, Panasonic suddenly pulled back and delayed the product launch indefinitely.

The reason: the ads featured the slogan "Touch Woody - The Internet Pecker."

An American staff member at the internal product launch explained to the stunned and mbarrassed Japanese what "touch woody" and "pecker" meant in American slang.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

"It feels like a bad dream."

"It feels like a bad dream."

HARRY NICOLAIDES, an Australian author who was sentenced to
three years in prison in Thailand for insulting the monarchy in a self-published novel.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Photo of the Day (David Lim, Auckland, New Zealand.

The extraordinary bubble eye wears marble-size, fluid-filled eye sacs like water wings. The breed is only one in a gallery of bizarre variations of the common goldfish. Developed over ten centuries by Asian breeders, this living art of the East today attracts growing numbers of Western aquarists.
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Monday, January 5, 2009

PC Konk the clown strip-searched by airport security guards - because they thought he was a terrorist

Daily Mail, UK, 22 December, 2008--The stunned 60-year-old was frisked by guards and ordered to remove his comedy costume down to his shorts and T-shirt after setting off an alarm at Birmingham International Airport.

He was even ordered to hand over his plastic handcuffs as they were deemed a 'risk' before eventually being allowed to board his flight.

Mr Vaughan, a children's entertainer for 25 years, had been booked by Variety Club Midlands to perform for disadvantaged youngsters on a one-hour circular flight known as the Search for Santa.

'I couldn't believe it when they told me to get undressed so they could search me,' he said at his home in Shard End, Birmingham.

'I showed them my police clown identity card, which had my picture next to my credentials as a member of the Criminal Insane Department, but I don't think that really helped.

'My plastic scissors and camera got through fine, as did my funny glasses and bubble machine, but then they discovered my toy handcuffs.

'I told them I had bought them from the Early Learning Centre especially for the trip but they still said they were a risk. I suppose they have to be really safety-conscious nowadays, but I've never had this problem before when I've been to international clown conventions abroad.'

Security guards spent ten minutes examining PC Konk's outfit and eventually released him when they discovered his costume featured a metal band which held up his pantaloons - the reason he set off the alarm.

After entertaining the 100 children with his funny songs and jokes on the flight, he was reunited with his handcuffs when the plane landed.

David Dunckly, spokesman for Variety Club Midlands, said: 'It's ridiculous that they needed to strip-search PC Konk right down to his shorts.

'He told us that he normally uses pink fluffy handcuffs, but they have a little bit of metal in, so he thought plastic ones would be safer.

'PC Konk has always been great with the kids and we were all rather shocked when we found out he had been strip-searched in a private room. Thankfully, he was let through in the end - but it's security gone mad.'

Birmingham International Airport's website states that a team of 300 security guards is employed for the benefit of public safety.

Passengers are advised that any sharp or pointed items should not be carried on to planes, or they could be confiscated and destroyed.

But there is no mention of children's toys or plastic handcuffs.

An airport spokesman said: 'PC Konk certainly did a great job of keeping everyone at the airport entertained. However, he was required to give in his handcuffs in line with national security regulations.

'He then passed speedily through before getting on with the important job of putting smiles on the faces of the Variety Club children, who all enjoyed a day to remember.'

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Ouch! Quch! Painful Bow Hunting Experience! Auckland, New Zealand, GDI, Monavie, David, Lim, davidlim

Warning: This page contain explicit, open wound picture. Parental guidance is required!

Please be careful who you bring on your hunting trip! It is just like who you choose as your partner for business! See pictures below yourself! You can click on the picture by larger view. Picture supplied by TheKiwi.




Dead Man Won US$71 Million! Auckland, New Zealand, GDI, Monavie

On the day that Donald Peters died, he unknowingly provided financial security for his wife of 59 years and their family.

Peters bought two Connecticut Lottery tickets at a local store on November 1 as part of a 20-year tradition he shared with his wife Charlotte.

Later that day, the 79-year-old retired hat factory worker suffered a fatal heart attack while working in his yard in Danbury.

On Friday, his widow cashed in one of the tickets: a US$10 million [A$17 million] winner which, in her grief over her husband's death, she had put aside and almost discarded before recently checking the numbers.

"I'm numb," Charlotte Peters, 78, said at Connecticut Lottery office.

She does not yet know what she will do with the money.

"I've always wanted a Corvette, but I don't think I'll buy one. I'll stick to a small car. I might go to Mohegan Sun," she said, referring to the casino in Connecticut.

"I'm going to go home and sit and think."

The Peters children think their father would have appreciated the irony.

"He'd be very mad, he just passed away and she won a lot of money," said Brian Peters, one of the couple's three children.

"He'd say, 'Figures!'"

The Peters had three children and two grandchildren.


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# Contact info submission

url: davidinauckland.blogspot.com/2009/01/dead-man-won-us71-million-auckland-new.html
site_owner: David Lim 6421422443, www.thekiwi.ws
address1: 1 Queen Street
address2:
city: Auckland
state: Central
country: New Zealand
postal_code: 1001
phone_number: 6421422443
display_email: davidlim@hotmail.com
site_name:
site_description: Welcome to my Aotearoa blog, Auckland, New Zealand. My email is davidlim at hotmail.com and mobile is 6421422443. Feel free to check out my site at http://i.am/davidlim and www.TheKiwi.ws

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Teen caught driving at 195km/h! Auckland, New Zealand, GDI, Monavie

Taranaki police were shocked after clocking a teenager driving at 195km/h, with four passengers in his car.

"It would be the highest speed I've ever seen on the radar," Detective Kim Severinsen told the Dominion Post.

The incident happened on Tuesday on State Highway 3.

Police chased the 19-year-old's car into Eltham, in South Taranaki, where he tried to hide the vehicle behind a friend's house.

The driver was arrested and charged with excess blood alcohol, failing to stop and driving at excessive speed. (Source: New Zealand Herald). Non-related video clip.

Note: 6,240 had visited this blog as of 1:40AM, 02-JAN-2009.

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Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Asia-Pacific Quiz - 2008, GDI Marketing Group, Auckland, New Zealand

It's the end of the year... How much can you remember about what's been happening in Asia and the Pacific in 2008? Here's your chance to find out!

When you've got your result, why not e-mail the quiz to your friends to see how they measure up?

Question 1
2008 saw a protracted confrontation between Thailand's then ruling party and anti-government protesters from the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD). PAD supporters were often seen wearing the colour yellow - why?
A: In Thailand (and some other Asian countries) yellow signifies courage
B: It symbolises the sun, and represents the protesters' desire to govern
C: It represents Monday, the day of the week on which Thailand's revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej was born
D: It represents the Thai capital Bangkok, PAD's power base
Question 2
Which animals did researchers find had a 36% chance of being drunk on any given night?
A: Police sniffer dogs in Australia
B: Elephants in Thailand
C: Tree-shrews in Malaysia
D: Przewalski's wild horses in Mongolia
Question 3
Which of the following was NOT said by Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso?
A: "Even people with Alzheimer's disease could understand" that Japanese rice is more expensive in China
B: There are many doctors "who lack a fair degree of common sense"
C: On the elderly: "Why should I have to pay for those who just eat and drink and make no effort?"
D: On why tackling the falling birth rate was hard: "The number of birth-giving machines and devices is fixed"
Question 4
Who or what are Talula Does The Hula From Hawaii, Sex Fruit, Keenan Got Lucy and Yeah Detroit?
A: Children's names blocked by a New Zealand judge
B: The titles of pop songs supposedly created by the Flight of the Conchords – the fictional band featured in the hit New Zealand TV comedy show of the same name
C: The names of the year's best-selling novels on the Cook Islands – all written by a former islander
D: The names of cocktails on offer at a surrealism-themed bar in Astana, Kazakhstan
Question 5
In August Beijing hosted an Olympics to be proud of, topping the gold medal table and providing state-of-the-art facilities and extravagant displays. But what went wrong at the opening ceremony?
A: The little girl who sang a solo was actually found to be miming
B: Pro-Tibet protesters staged a large demonstration on the roof of the stadium
C: One of the 2,008 drummers was out of synch with the others
D: Spectators couldn't see the action properly due to the high pollution levels
Question 6
In February, people in China and many other parts of Asia celebrated the Lunar New Year and welcomed in the Year of the Rat. But why did 2008 not prove so lucky for the rodents themselves?
A: Thieves in China tried to cash in by selling stuffed rats to welcome in the new year
B: Vietnam banned people keeping hamsters as pets, after sales rose to celebrate the Year of the Rat
C: Malaysia began taxing owners of pet mice and rats
D: Japanese diners started to follow the South American trend of eating guinea pigs as a delicacy
Question 7
Why are Australians being urged to eat kangaroos?
A: There are too many wild kangaroos in Australia, and they are eating farmers' crops
B: Kangaroos do not produce as much methane as sheep and cows, and are therefore better for the environment
C: Kangaroo meat is low in fat, and much better for you than other types of red meat
D: Kangaroos drink less water than other animals, and Australia faces a prolonged drought

Please click for the answer. GDI Marketing

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