MaverickM11 From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 15734 posts, RR: 48 Posted (3 years 10 months 4 weeks 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 1773 times:
"It probably seemed a good idea at the time. But Russia's attempt to create a joint gas venture with Nigeria is set to become one of the classic branding disasters of all time ‑ after the new company was named Nigaz"
Longhornmaniac From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 3094 posts, RR: 48 Reply 2, posted (3 years 10 months 4 weeks 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 1683 times:
I'm very fond of the Chevy Nova in Mexico.
For those that don't speak spanish, Nova->'no va' which means 'it doesn't go.'
They were re-branded as Mitsubishi Montero, at least in the Spanish speaking world. However, here in Costa Rica I have seen one or two Monteros that were labeled as Mitsubishi Pajero. They were probably imported from Europe?
Mir From United States of America, joined Jan 2004, 19719 posts, RR: 56 Reply 8, posted (3 years 10 months 4 weeks 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 1588 times:
Quoting Dallasnewark (Reply 5): Since i can speak Russian very well, the word "Gaz" means natural gas and the connotation NI stood for Nigeria.
That may be, but the two still go really strangely together.
-Mir
7 billion, one nation, imagination...it's a beautiful day
NorthstarBoy From United States of America, joined Jun 2005, 1713 posts, RR: 1 Reply 9, posted (3 years 10 months 4 weeks 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 1587 times:
when Northwest Orient changed it's branding to Northwest and then finally NWA, i had to wonder if whoever came up with the NWA branding had heard of a notorious rap band with the same name.
I could have elite status if I wanted it, but flying the same airline all the time is boring.
RussianJet From Kazakhstan, joined Jul 2007, 6296 posts, RR: 23 Reply 12, posted (3 years 10 months 4 weeks 23 hours ago) and read 1553 times:
Quoting Mir (Reply 8): That may be, but the two still go really strangely together.
Depends if you're a Russian speaker or not. To Russian ears it certainly doesn't sound strange, the language is full of such combinations and apart from potentially problematic English interpretations of the name it sounds perfectly normal. Fact is that in many languages you can find words that sound like something else in another tongue. Perhaps people should grow up and take it for what it is, rather than giggling like school children about linguistic differences.
Pellegrine From United States of America, joined Mar 2007, 1845 posts, RR: 8 Reply 13, posted (3 years 10 months 4 weeks 20 hours ago) and read 1514 times:
Quoting RussianJet (Reply 12): Depends if you're a Russian speaker or not. To Russian ears it certainly doesn't sound strange, the language is full of such combinations and apart from potentially problematic English interpretations of the name it sounds perfectly normal.
I was thinking along the same lines. To someone who works with Russian companies, they would be used to such abbreviations and combinations. It is rather funny to a native English speaker I suppose. How about "Nigerianeftegaz" (NNG).
D L X From United States of America, joined May 1999, 10561 posts, RR: 53 Reply 14, posted (3 years 10 months 4 weeks 20 hours ago) and read 1496 times:
Quoting RussianJet (Reply 12): Perhaps people should grow up and take it for what it is
Only if the product is supposed to stay completely within Russian borders. If that hits the English speaking world, or even just western Europe, it's going to be a problematic name. Like a poster above said, I would hear that and expect it to be run by Snoop Dogg or somebody, and the company deserves the incumbent laughter.
RussianJet From Kazakhstan, joined Jul 2007, 6296 posts, RR: 23 Reply 15, posted (3 years 10 months 4 weeks 19 hours ago) and read 1488 times:
Quoting D L X (Reply 14): I would hear that and expect it to be run by Snoop Dogg or somebody
Knowing that it's a gas company?
Just joshing of course. I see your point, but we should be used to the fact that companies get called all sorts of things that sound weird in our own language.
SW733 From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 6072 posts, RR: 10 Reply 18, posted (3 years 10 months 4 weeks 17 hours ago) and read 1427 times:
Quoting NA (Reply 17): Nigeria is largely English-speaking. How can such happen there?
It's hard to explain this without pissing people off, so stick with me here folks and please don't ban me...the full word "nigger" is largely understood as being a bad word in the English speaking world, though not used other places quite as often as it is in the USA. The slang "nigaz", however, is a very American term that was promoted by the rap industry. So, I don't think it is really used in Nigeria, or even known for the most part, so that's how it could be overlooked.
Quoting RussianJet (Reply 15): but we should be used to the fact that companies get called all sorts of things that sound weird in our own language.
True, but I am surprised this happens even with cars (ok, Pajero has been around for couple of decades), because I think I've read somewhere that car companies before they give a car model a name they now use a highly sophisticated software which cross-checks the intended name against vocabularies of almost any language there is to prevent this from happening.
Some most likely do not perform this check as Hyundai Getz was sold under different name in Hungary since there is a similar word in Hungarian for ejaculation.
MaverickM11 From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 15734 posts, RR: 48 Reply 20, posted (3 years 10 months 4 weeks 15 hours ago) and read 1402 times:
Quoting NA (Reply 17): Nigeria is largely English-speaking. How can such happen there?
Plus the lingua franca of the energy industry, and business in general, is English. I don't see a lot of Nigerians learning Russian or Russians picking up Hausa so the common ground is of course English.
MaverickM11 From United States of America, joined Apr 2000, 15734 posts, RR: 48 Reply 22, posted (3 years 10 months 4 weeks 15 hours ago) and read 1371 times:
On Arrested Development there was a character who combined the best traits of an analyst with those of a therapist and invented the profession of analrapist.
FCA767 From United Kingdom, joined Nov 2006, 1720 posts, RR: 0 Reply 23, posted (3 years 10 months 4 weeks 13 hours ago) and read 1331 times:
Quoting MaverickM11 (Reply 22):
On Arrested Development there was a character who combined the best traits of an analyst with those of a therapist and invented the profession of analrapist
LOL that's funny also Analyst he could be an analyst as an anal analyser
NA From Germany, joined Dec 1999, 9614 posts, RR: 10 Reply 24, posted (3 years 10 months 4 weeks 12 hours ago) and read 1314 times:
Quoting SW733 (Reply 18): The slang "nigaz", however, is a very American term that was promoted by the rap industry. So, I don't think it is really used in Nigeria, or even known for the most part
You would wonder what kind of music is ruling Nigeria today! Rap, Hip-Hop and such very US-influenced stuff.
25 LTU932: Not only that, it also reminds you of the song "Mief" by "Die Doofen". Remember that weird music duo of Wigald Boning and Olli Dittrich?
26 MD11Engineer: You would be surprised! In the 1960s to the 1980s Russia (or better the old USSR) used to run the Lumumba university in Moscow (I don´t know if it s
27 PHLBOS: In Canada, Buick could not use the name Lacrosse for its mid-size sedan. It went with the name Allure because Lacrosse, in French Canadian, is slang
28 SW733: Oh, I know. Rap is everywhere these days, I have ever heard it blasting on the streets of Lagos last time I was there in 2006. But I just have never
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