"Impossible is nothing Denglish" 22 Nov 2007

Deutsche Welle has an interesting article on how, after years peddling anglicisms, German advertisers have rediscovered their own language:

"From Vodafone's 'Make the Most of Now' to Siemens' 'Be Inspired,' the lingua franca of cutting-edge advertising has long been English, and Germany is no exception. But for a variety of reasons, companies across the board have recently been switching back to German...Examples include retailer C&A, which replaced 'Fashion For Living' with 'Preise Gut, Alles Gut' (The Price Is Right, Everything Is Right) and McDonalds, whose advertising campaign morphed from 'Every Time a Good Time' into 'Ich Liebe Es' (I'm Lovin' It)."

The author of the article suggests that this change is primarily a reflection of Germany's "burgeoning cultural self-confidence", however usability issues (namely, poor localisation) is also a key factor. Many German's just don't understand the anglicised German - or "Denglish", as they are known - slogans:

"One reason for this shift is purely practical. While even native speakers struggle with the double negatives of Adidas' promise that 'Impossible is Nothing,' a study commissioned last year by advertising agency Endmark revealed that Germans respond to most English-language claims with sheer bewilderment.

"Faced with a dozen anglicisms, only one-third of those questioned in the survey actually knew what the slogans meant. Few grasped the point of 'Come In and Find Out,' the ubiquitous promotion for the Douglas cosmetics chain. Most consumers, it emerged, thought they were being invited to enter a store and then find the nearest exit.

"Jaguar's 'Life By Gorgeous' campaign left participants equally bemused, with many laboring under the impression the advertisement was showcasing good times in Georgia. Private TV station Sat1's slogan 'Powered by Emotion' must have seemed extremely out of place as most people translated it into German as 'Kraft Durch Freude' or 'Strength Through Joy' -- a favorite motto of Hitler's."