Electrolux
“Two nations divided by a common language” was how George Bernard Shaw (or possibly Oscar Wilde – history isn’t clear) described the relationship between Britain and the USA. Accordingly, this example goes some way towards showing how localization can be a tricky procedure even when occurring between (what we in the localization industry would call) EN (UK) and EN (US). The vacuum cleaner manufacturer Electrolux had a big hit with their British advertising campaign “Nothing sucks like Electrolux.” However, when transferred across the pond, the meaning changed from a simple, rhyming slogan into a declaration of inferior quality. In America, “sucks” is a slang term applied to something awful or useless, while in the original market, the slogan doesn’t have any negative connotations.