Key takeaways
- A slogan is usually transcreated, not translated, because rhyme, wordplay and idiom rarely survive a word-for-word version.
- The ITI Transcreation Code of Practice says no transcreation can start without an agreed brief, and recommends at least two options: one bolder and one safer.
- Each option should come with a back translation and a short rationale, so non-speakers in the marketing team can judge it.
- In France, the 1994 Toubon law makes French compulsory in all written, spoken and audiovisual advertising, so an English-only tagline is not a neutral choice there.
- Character limits matter: Google Ads headlines allow 30 characters, and each Chinese, Japanese or Korean character counts as two.
This guide is for marketing managers, brand owners and agencies who need a slogan, tagline or strapline to work in another language. It explains why literal versions fail, what a professional process looks like, and which checks to run before a tagline goes on packaging, a website or a paid campaign.
A slogan is the shortest and most exposed piece of copy a brand owns. It is often only four to eight words long, yet it carries the brand's promise and personality. That is why it deserves a different process from the rest of a website or catalogue.
Why do slogans rarely survive literal translation?
A literal slogan translation keeps the words but loses the devices that made the original memorable. Most taglines rely on rhyme, alliteration, puns, idioms or a deliberately informal register, and none of these maps neatly onto another language.
A pun on an English word that has two meanings will almost never have a target-language word with the same pair of meanings. An idiom can sound quaint, rude or meaningless abroad. Even the grammar changes the tone: many languages force a choice between a formal and an informal "you", which English never has to make.
| What makes the slogan work | What a literal translation does | What a transcreator does instead |
|---|---|---|
| Wordplay or a pun | Keeps one meaning and loses the joke | Finds a new play on words with a similar effect |
| Rhyme, rhythm or alliteration | Produces a flat, prose-like line | Rebuilds a memorable sound pattern in the target language |
| An English idiom | Sounds odd or confusing | Uses a local expression or a plain, strong statement |
| A casual or cheeky tone | Picks the wrong level of formality | Chooses the register that suits the audience and brand |
| A short, punchy length | Often grows longer in German, French or Spanish | Writes to the space available on the layout |
This is the core difference explained in our guide to transcreation vs translation: translation is judged on accuracy, while transcreation is judged on whether the copy has the same effect on its audience.
How is a slogan transcreated, step by step?
Slogan transcreation follows a brief-led workflow with options, explanations and feedback rounds. The Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) sets out a six-step model in its Transcreation Code of Practice, and is unambiguous about where it starts:
"A clear and detailed brief is the point of departure. No transcreation can be started without one." (ITI, Transcreation Code of Practice)
In practice, a slogan project usually runs like this:
- Brief. You share the source slogan, the visuals it sits on, the target audience, the brand's tone of voice and anything that must not be said.
- Cultural check. The linguist flags anything in the concept or image that may not work in the target market.
- Options. The transcreator brainstorms widely, then shortlists and polishes the strongest versions.
- Back translation and rationale. Each option is returned with a literal English rendering and a note explaining the choice.
- Feedback. Your team, ideally with a local colleague, comments. The ITI Code notes that two feedback rounds is common practice.
- Sign-off and record. The approved line is saved with the brief and rationale, so future campaigns stay consistent.
How many options should you get, and what is a back translation?
For a slogan, you should normally receive at least two options, each with a back translation. The ITI Code recommends "at least two options: one bolder and the other safer", because judging creative copy is subjective and the client has the final say.
A back translation is a literal rendering of the new slogan into the source language, so that people who do not speak the target language can see what it actually says. It is not meant to sound good in English. Its job is to reveal meaning, connotations and any risky double meanings.
The rationale is a short note on why the transcreator chose each wording: the idiom used, the tone, the sound pattern, or the reason a literal version was rejected. Without it, marketing teams tend to pick the option whose back translation looks closest to the English, which is often the weakest one in the market.
Should a slogan stay in English in some markets?
Keeping a slogan in English can be a valid brand decision, but it should be a tested choice rather than a default to save time. Some global brands use one English line everywhere, and many consumers understand simple English phrases.
The evidence on buyer behaviour points the other way for most products. In CSA Research's survey of 8,709 consumers in 29 countries, 76% of online shoppers preferred to buy products with information in their native language, and 40% said they would never buy from websites in other languages.
Local law can also decide the question. In France, the Ministry of Culture explains that under the 1994 Toubon law "l'emploi de la langue française est obligatoire dans toute publicité écrite, parlée ou audiovisuelle", meaning French is compulsory in all written, spoken and audiovisual advertising. Foreign-language lines generally need a French version that is as legible as the original. If you plan to keep an English tagline in France, take local advice first.
Which legal and trade mark checks apply to a translated tagline?
A translated slogan must meet the advertising rules of each market and should be cleared before you register or rely on it as a trade mark. Creative freedom does not extend to claims the product cannot support.
Advertising claims
In the UK, rule 3.1 of the CAP Code states that "Marketing communications must not materially mislead or be likely to do so." A transcreator who turns "helps reduce" into a stronger local claim such as "eliminates" can create a compliance problem that did not exist in the source. Ask your linguist to flag any change in the strength of a claim, and check regulated sectors such as food, health, finance and alcohol with local counsel.
Trade mark registration
If you plan to register a slogan as an EU trade mark, Article 7(2) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 says the grounds for refusal apply "notwithstanding that the grounds of non-registrability obtain in only part of the Union". A line that is purely descriptive or offensive in one EU language can therefore block the whole application. Our guide to checking a brand name across languages covers searches and linguistic screening in more detail.
How do length limits affect a translated slogan?
Length limits often shape a translated slogan as much as meaning does. A tagline must fit the logo lock-up, the packaging panel, the app store field or the ad format, and many target languages need more words than English to say the same thing.
Paid search is the strictest case. Google states that headline fields in responsive search ads support up to 30 characters and description fields up to 90. It also notes that "Every character in a double width language like Korean, Japanese, or Chinese counts as 2 characters", which halves the room available in those markets. Always send your linguist the character or pixel limits with the brief. Our guide to localising email and ad copy covers these formats in detail.
What are the most common mistakes in slogan translation?
Most failed slogan translations come from process shortcuts rather than from poor linguists. These are the mistakes we see most often:
- Sending the line without context. A slogan sent as a single cell in a spreadsheet, with no visual and no brief, invites a literal translation.
- Judging options by their back translation. The option that looks closest in English is rarely the one that sounds best to a native speaker.
- Translating the slogan before the brand name is cleared. If the name has to change in a market, the tagline usually changes with it.
- Using machine translation for the shortlist. Engines handle informative text better than wordplay. Our article on whether DeepL and ChatGPT are good enough for business translation explains where they fall short.
- Forgetting regional variants. A line written for Spain may not suit Mexico; see Spanish for Spain vs Latin America.
- Skipping a record. If the approved line and rationale are not stored, the next campaign often reinvents it inconsistently.
Budget is covered separately in how transcreation is priced, because slogans are usually quoted per project or per hour rather than per word.
How TranslationWorks can help with slogan translation
TranslationWorks is a UK-based translation agency that transcreates slogans, taglines and campaign copy through native-speaking linguists in more than 150 languages. Our transcreation services work from your brief and brand guidelines, and we coordinate with your in-house marketing team or branding agency where needed. For retailers, the same linguists can carry the approved line through your shop and listings via our e-commerce translation services. TranslationWorks is ISO 17100 certified, ISO 9001 and ISO 27001 registered and Cyber Essentials certified, which matters when unreleased campaigns are shared before launch. To discuss a tagline, send the source line, visuals and target markets through our free quote form, and we will reply within 24 hours.
