In 1987, Braniff Airlines ran ads on television, on radio and in newspapers flaunting the fact that its jets were equipped with all-leather seats. Spanish-language radio ads in the Florida market were the first to reveal an unintended double entendre. Braniff had translated its "fly in leather" slogan as fly "en cuero," which sounds like Spanish slang for "fly naked."
Some speculated the gaffe was an intentional move by marketing to attract attention, but the executive who developed the ad confirmed that the double meaning was accidental.
The airline industry is international by nature, and airlines must adapt their business and language to thrive in other countries. Companies like Braniff have seen many successes, but they have also occasionally failed to anticipate the connotations of a foreign idiom or figurative regional expression in marketing.
Marketing messages often contain colloquial or idiomatic language to evoke an emotional response in the target audience. However, some of this language can unintentionally carry undesirable meanings in translation and may even harm marketing efforts...
Read the rest at "In global airline marketing, idioms must be handled carefully" by Adam Wooten in his International Business column on DeseretNews.com
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