Oct 16, 2008 09:01
15 yrs ago
French term

Vous n'utiliserez pas ce produit par hasard

French to English Marketing Marketing
I need a marketing punchline for a product.
Obviously a literal translation is out of the question. I was thinking along the lines of: "This product will change your mind/life..."
BTW, this phrase is a light spoof of Total's ad, "Vous ne reviendrez plus chez nous par hasard".
Dos anyone have any other suggestions?
All contributions welcome.

Discussion

Clair Pickworth Oct 16, 2008:
Perhaps not necessarily use the Total slogan... if it does not really have any special relevance here, but why not play with other well-known slogans, just to maintain the same feel as the original, just as an example you might be able to play around with L'Oréal's "because I'm worth it" ... really just a suggestion ...!
John Peterson Oct 16, 2008:
I've put something in the discussion box, but I'm not aware of a direct equivalent in terms of an English slogan - so may not be worth pursuing.
John Peterson Oct 16, 2008:
Total Ad Re your comment and Tony's above I'm not aware of any English slogan (not being a car owner) but it's obviously (literally) "you won't come back to use by chance" more freely: "we're the ones you'll come back to", "the service station of choice" etc. Given the product, there's no reason why you'd haver to keep the Total allusion (especially if these course are one-off rather than regular).
Esther Lavedrine (asker) Oct 16, 2008:
What does the Total ad say in English? I can't find it on the Internet.
Tony M Oct 16, 2008:
TOTAL ad I must admit, I did always think that line by Total was a bit of a double-edged sword! At our local Total s/station, I always felt the compulsion to graffiti on their posters "No-one is likely to come back here if they could help it!" :-)))
Esther Lavedrine (asker) Oct 16, 2008:
It's a professional training course that can be adapted to all learning situations, - e-Learning, blended, classroom, etc.
Tony M Oct 16, 2008:
Yes, it really is VITAL to know a lot more about the product and target public
Helen Shiner Oct 16, 2008:
It would help to know the product or type of product, please.

Proposed translations

+6
7 mins
Selected

The product you choose to use

For a start!

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Note added at 1 hr (2008-10-16 10:13:14 GMT)
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You could play with 'the course that keeps you on track' etc.
Peer comment(s):

agree Melzie : nice one
5 mins
Thanks, Melzie.
agree John Peterson : Maybe "your trainer/training course of choice" in view of the added info.
39 mins
I'd prefer the "the course you choose to do" which implies that nobody needs to force you into it.
agree Helen Shiner : Great stuff! Snappy and it rhymes.
41 mins
Thanks, Helen.
agree ST Translations : Yes, but maybe change "product", as suggested by John
1 hr
Yes, see suggestion just posted to John.
agree Clair Pickworth : Yes, as the idea here really is about making a deliberate choice, I think
2 hrs
agree Gustavo Silva
14 hrs
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Wow, what a lot of great suggestions! Thanks everyone for the fantastic brainstorming session. It was really difficult picking one. I especially liked Emma's "The course that keeps you on track", John's "The product you'll come back to", Sheila's "Get yourself on the right course" and Polyglot's "The course, of course". However, in the end, I opted for this one because I wanted to keep the word "product". I think that the company's intent is to market not so much the course itself, but the technology behind it. I chose not to use John's "The product you'll come back to" because it implies that one has already tried the product. Thanks so very much for all your suggestions."
+1
7 mins

it is not by chance that you have opted for this product

or if it must be used w.future tense: <that you will opt for .....>
Peer comment(s):

neutral Tony M : Too literal, and not sufficiently idiomatic for a marketing punchline in EN. / As Esther said: "Obviously a literal translation is out of the question."
5 mins
well, there is not accounting for tastes.
agree Cristina Balmus
32 mins
thank you !
Something went wrong...
+1
10 mins

X was made for you

X being the product - obviously if we know what it is it can widen the options.

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Note added at 12 mins (2008-10-16 09:14:03 GMT)
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Or: the product you'll come back to (if you want to keep some sort of ref. to the Total advert).

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Note added at 25 mins (2008-10-16 09:27:28 GMT)
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"Your 10/10 training (course)" "Train your sights on us" - two options in the light of the added info.
Note from asker:
John, what does the Total ad say in EN?
Thanks very much John!
Peer comment(s):

agree Clair Pickworth : "train your sights on us" is quite clever!
2 hrs
thanks!
Something went wrong...
49 mins

THE course, of course

see what happens when you know the product?
Note from asker:
Thanks very much Polyglot!
Something went wrong...
1 hr

You won't want to pass this by!

On second thoughts, I have never seen a by-line with the bald word 'product' in it. Hopefully, this might make people stop and say, 'What will I not want to pass by?'
Something went wrong...
+2
6 hrs

The course you just can't refuse

another idea along the lines of the offer you just can't refuse ..
Peer comment(s):

agree Clair Pickworth : yes, or you can't afford to miss, perhaps?
1 hr
agree Gustavo Silva
8 hrs
Something went wrong...
+1
8 hrs

Get yourself on the right course

Yet another idea
Note from asker:
Thanks very much Sheila!
Peer comment(s):

agree John Peterson : I like this - so I hope a posthumous agree is still welcome!
15 hrs
Any agree's welcome, John
Something went wrong...
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