Advertisements are inevitable, living in the contemporary world it became obvious that everything advertises something; or at least – carries the image which refers to some promoted product. Over past quarter of century Polish society become deeply consumerist one. In America, this situation happened earlier and sociologists warned about it long before our market assimilated theirs.
The path from advertisement of any product leads amongst the others – through the desk of the translator. There are, obviously, home products and these which Poland can be proud of, nevertheless, the majority of goods that are being presented through various forms of advertisement comes from foreign markets. What is more, these products and their producers, together with the agencies responsible for implementation of these goods in particular countries, often choose to use their original campaigns. Therefore, Polish translators need to work in such way, to make the language of the advert spot catchy enough for our market. Such work is an invisible work and the one requiring lots of linguistic skills, joined with the cultural awareness and many other factors.
The art of translation is a rewarding work, nevertheless, there are the parts of it which are necessary to be learned and understood before anyone approaches such a responsible job as translating the advertisements of world-wide known products.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: Advertisement – Theoretical Background
1.1. Understanding the Ad – Definitions behind Mechanism
1.2. Tricks for Targeting Various Markets
1.3. Conclusion
Chapter 2: The ‘Know-how’ of Good Translation
2.1.Defining the ‘Translation’
2.2.Translation Procedures, Strategies and Methods
2.3.What is a ‘Good Translation’?
2.4.Translation – a Product of a Complex Work
2.5.The Notion of Equivalence
2.6. Brief History of Polish Art of Translation
2.7. Translation in Advertising
Chapter 3: “Mentos – the Fresh maker” or the Polish Idea of Adverts’ Translation
3.1. TV Adverts to be Remembered through Generations
3.2.Newspaper-Magazine Adverts
3.3.Disruptive Billboards
Conclusion
References
Research Objectives and Core Themes
The primary aim of this work is to explore the complexity of translating advertising content into Polish, while providing an analytical overview of the theoretical foundations of both advertising mechanisms and translation strategies. The research seeks to understand how cultural and linguistic nuances influence the effectiveness of global advertising campaigns when localized for the Polish market.
- The theoretical discourse of persuasion in advertising and its historical development.
- Mechanisms of translation, including procedures, strategies, and the notion of equivalence.
- Cultural adaptation and localization challenges in international advertising campaigns.
- Comparative analysis of specific advertising campaigns (e.g., Mentos, Coca-Cola, Philips, Microsoft, Axe) in the US and Poland.
- The evolving role of the translator as an expert in intercultural communication.
Extract from the Book
1.1. Understanding the Ad – Definitions behind Mechanism
Make no mistake: advertising works. However, as a culture, we tend to be aloof and not a little snooty about advertisements, pretending that, while they may work on some people, they don’t work on us, and dismissing advertising language as trite discourse written for the uneducated (Goddard 1998: 2).
In contemporary society, advertising is everywhere. We cannot walk down the street, shop, watch television, go through our mail, log on to the Internet, read a newspaper or take a train without encountering it. Whether we are alone, with our friends or family, or in a crowd, advertising is always with us, if only on the label of something we are using (Cook 2001: 1).
For Williams: “[a]dvertisements are one of the most important cultural factors moulding and reflecting our life today. They are ubiquitous, an inevitable part of everyone’s lives: even if you do not read a newspaper or watch television, the images posted over our urban surroundings are inescapable. Pervading all the media, but limited to none, advertising forms a vast superstructure with an apparently autonomous existence and an immense influence” (Williams 2000: 11).
Katherine Toland Frith claims that most people think that there is too much advertising, that it makes them materialistic, that it perpetuates stereotypes, that it plays on fears of not being socially acceptable, that it lies, exploits children, and generally corrupts society. While most of these words of criticisms are not altogether true, there is some truth to all of them (Frith 1997: 1).
Summary of Chapters
Chapter 1: Advertisement – Theoretical Background: This chapter defines the nature of advertising as a persuasive discourse and explores its history, comparing the American and Polish markets.
Chapter 2: The ‘Know-how’ of Good Translation: This section presents the mechanisms of translation, detailing various techniques, the concept of equivalence, and the historical development of the art of translation in Poland.
Chapter 3: “Mentos – the Fresh maker” or the Polish Idea of Adverts’ Translation: The final chapter applies the theoretical concepts to real-world examples, analyzing specific advertising campaigns and the challenges faced by localizers in the Polish media.
Keywords
Advertising, Translation, Localization, Equivalence, Persuasion, Marketing, Cultural Adaptation, Target Audience, Consumer Behavior, Advertising Slogans, Mentos, Intercultural Communication, Media, Branding, Polish Market.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The work examines the intricate challenges of translating advertisements into Polish, focusing on the gap between global advertising strategies and local cultural adaptation.
What are the primary themes discussed in the book?
Key themes include the persuasive nature of advertising, translation methodologies, equivalence, cultural localization, and the evolving role of the translator in a globalized economy.
What is the ultimate goal of the paper?
The goal is to elucidate how complex the art of translation is and to analyze whether professional translation of advertising remains as effective today as it was in previous decades.
Which scientific methodologies are utilized?
The author employs a comparative analysis of advertising campaigns in different cultural contexts, supported by a literature review of translation theories and marketing communication studies.
What topics are explored in the main body?
The main body covers the theoretical background of advertising, technical translation procedures (like borrowing, calque, and modulation), and empirical analyses of various commercials in the Polish and US markets.
Which keywords best describe the paper?
Important keywords include localization, advertising, translation, cultural adaptation, equivalence, and intercultural communication.
How does the author analyze the "Mentos" campaign?
The author compares the English and Polish versions of the campaign, noting that while the visual strategy remained consistent, the adaptation of lyrics and messaging highlights differences in cultural reception.
What does the book conclude about modern advertising translations?
The author concludes that while advertisements translated decades ago were often of high quality, modern translations sometimes suffer from "overtranslation" and an over-reliance on explicit text rather than creative visual nuance.
- Quote paper
- Marta Zapała-Kraj (Author), 2019, Rendering the Advertisements into Polish. History of Polish Translation in Advertising, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/591331
