To avoid these problems of translation, most advertising firms are now beginning to write completely new ads. In writing new ads, global advertisers must consider different styles of communication in different countries.
In some cultures, the meaning of an advertisement is
20 usually found in the exact words that are used to describe the product and to explain why it is better than the competition. This is true in such countries as the United States, Britain, and Germany. But in other cultures, such as Japan's, the message depends more on situations and feelings than it does on words. For this reason, the goal of many TV commercials in Japan will be to show how good people feel in a party or some other social situation. The commercial will not say that a product is better than others. Instead, its goal will be to create a positive mood or feeling about the product. As a result, movie stars and celebrities often appear in Japanese advertisements.