27th September:

Regular readers of this site (hello again mum!) will be aware that your congenial host does enjoy casting a critical eye over other company's marketing campaigns. One recent example that caught my eye was the series of adverts for the new Nissan X-Trail 4x4.

I'm not sure who the bright spark was in Japan who came up with the advertising strapline "Extremely Capable" but it has certainly left me scratching my head. And not in a good way. I think I can see what the advertising agency was trying to get across, and the correct way of articulating the original concept in English is probably something like "Extremely Versatile" combined with "Assured Performance". What we've actually been given, though, is a more-than-likely direct translation of something Japanese into something English that doesn't really mean anything at all. Calling something 'capable' is hardly highlighting a virtue - it simply implies that the item is functional. Adding 'extremely' into the equation only adds a degree without in any way suggesting a quality. Extremely capable = very functional. Hardly a ringing endorsement of the car, now, is it? Talk about damning with faint praise...

Our Nipponic cousins have plenty of history with this kind of thing - I recall walking down a Tokyo street in 2003 and seeing a sign for a restaurant whose food would apparently help me to enjoy "peaceful gastric activity". You know precisely what they mean, but they've just not quite got it right. Lovers of this kind of thing will probably already be aware of the celebrated web site www.engrish.com.

In the meantime, please excuse me...I have to go and have joyful occasion that is my wishness. Feel enjoy!