Suzuki Hustler? Japan's brand names raise eyebrows

[Darthrevan]

President of Japan's auto maker Suzuki Motor, Osamu Suzuki (right), poses as he introduces the company's new mini sports ulility vehicle (SUV) called Hustler at a press conference in Tokyo on Dec 24, 2013.

 

Suzuki Motor Corp had little idea that the name "Hustler" for its new, boxy minicar aimed at outdoorsy Japanese customers might cause mirth among English speakers for its association with an adult magazine - but it's not alone.

Plucking words from foreign dictionaries without checking how they might be received by native speakers appears to be a habit at Japanese companies, which have produced countless products with unintentionally unsavoury names.

The name Hustler was chosen to conjure the image of agility, as well as invite nostalgia from customers who remembered an off-road motorbike released in 1969 called the Hustler 250, said a Suzuki public relations officer.

Foreign visitors might instead recall the sexually explicit magazine started by porn magnate Larry Flynt as competition to Playboy, or associate the word with obtaining money through illegal activities or vice industries.

The Hustler follows a string of other Japan-made cars to bemuse speakers of foreign languages, such as Daihatsu Motor Co Ltd's Naked in 2000 and Isuzu Motors Ltd's 1983 Bighorn.

Spanish speakers were taken aback by Mazda Motor Corp's Laputa, a derogatory word for sex worker, while Mitsubishi Motors Corp sold its Pajero model as the Montero in Spanish-speaking countries as the former is slang for sexual self-pleasure.

Japanese confectionery often yields a chuckle from foreign tourists, too. A tubular chocolate snack called Collon and an isotonic sports drink named Pocari Sweat, for example, bear unfortunate associations with bodily functions.

While many brand names around the world don't translate across borders - the Iranian washing powder Barf, which means snow in Persian, or a Swedish chocolate bar called Plopp, for example - Japanese companies often use foreign words for how they sound, with little regard to their original meaning.

This is partly due to foreign words having an exotic ring, much like how Chinese characters are seen by Westerners as poetic or profound choices for tattoos even if the results don't make much sense to native speakers. But Japanese firms often fail to check if a name 'travels' because of historical reasons, marketers say.

"Japan really is an island nation, and was historically closed for a long time. Also, the domestic market is so big that companies can be successful without thinking globally," said Masamichi Nakamura, executive director at global marketing firm Interbrand's branch in Tokyo.

But Japan is far from having a patent on unintentionally salacious brand names: websites like Engrish.com revel in strange uses of English across Asia, including neighbouring South Korea's snack maker Lotte Confectionary Co Ltd's Crunky Ball Nude.

Source: http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/asia/story/minicar-named-hustler-japans-brand-names-raise-eyebrows-20131225

[Toothiewabbit]

My eyes must be failing me....those 3 next to the car sure don't look like prawn stars to me

[Scion]

i think the best is Toyota Sai

 

they probably scratching their heads why this car is not selling well in Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan

[Holdenutessv]

Then there's also the Mitsubishi Pajero, Mazda LaPuta, Ford Probe .etc

[Pocus]

The reason why Honda fit is sold as jazz in Europe bcuz the word "fit" means cb in one of the European language.

[Friendstar]

They are really quite bo chup about what others think.

[Baal]

In that sense, they are the direct opposite of skp.

[Camrysfa]

Pardon me, Engleesh is foreign here . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Alheych]

Cefiro was called 死肥佬 by the Cantonese for many years, until the Teana finally replaced it.

[Lala81]

Too many slangs and languages. I think some publicity is better than no publicity.

Now at least we know there's a hustler car.

[Qpik]

Cefiro was called 死肥佬 by the Cantonese for many years, until the Teana finally replaced it.

Teana reminded me of adult diaper

[Fcw75]

Am actually thinking of getting this car. Anyone driving it or know of someone driving it?