OT - Advertising Copy Goes from Indecipherable to Just Plain Stupid.

MrWhoopee

MrWhoopee

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We're all used to ad copy that is gibberish. This, from a listing for carbide threading inserts on AE, takes it to another level. Trying to envision a use for a threading insert in the kitchen.

Product sellpoints​

  • Stainless steel: The pressed thread tool is made of high-quality stainless steel, which is durable and has a long service life.
  • Convenient & simple design: The pressed thread tool is easy to use, and it can be used for many times. you can also use it as a small tool in your kitchen.
  • Widely uses: This pressed thread tool is suitable for all kinds of cutting tools, such as metal, stainless steel, plastic, wood, ceramics, etc.
 
Something was lost in translation...?

I've read some advertising descriptions that convinced me that the person doing the writing actually had no idea what the product was used for... this may be one of those.

-Bear
 
mmcmdl said:
Try putting a gas grill together . :grin: People get paid to come up with these directions ???? o_O
Click to expand...
About a year ago I volunteer to assemble 4 metal and plastic picnic tables.
All were in sealed boxes. The first box had hardware package open in box with nuts bolts washers all over inside box and no instructions. OK, I'll just open the next box to get instruction. All boxes had hardware all over and no instruction. The first one took me about a half hour and the next ones about 15 min. each. Who needs Instructions? Al.
 
That reminds me of a project I had at work. One of the designers brought me a box of parts and asked me to assemble them. When I asked what it was he told me I’d know what it was when I got it assembled

I asked for the prints and was told I should be smart enough to complete the job without them As he was leaving the room he quipped that with a set of prints anyone could do the job
 
“Instructions” were always a mystery from when I was making models as a little kid to when I was trying to figure out how to fix something in automotive manuals. I always assumed I was somehow lacking. But periodically I would get something that easily explained the whole thing and it was NEVER with words. The greatest quick explanation for me is the exploded view. And those were always few and far between. The next level was a print and dead last was explanation.

I always assumed it was because of the old thing “a picture is worth 1,000 words” but then we moved here and I found out my next door neighbor did manuals and her husband was a CAD engineer. It was somewhat like when I had spent decades as a mechanic cursing engineers for their impossible designs and then went to work for different manufacturers and was in direct contact with the engineering dept. I got to observe first hand how just because you can get the job doesn’t mean you can really do the job. And only few of those had any practical experience. The “manual lady” is a hoarder that talks constantly about nothing. Nuf said.
 
MrWhoopee said:
We're all used to ad copy that is gibberish. This, from a listing for carbide threading inserts on AE, takes it to another level. Trying to envision a use for a threading insert in the kitchen.

Product sellpoints​

  • Stainless steel: The pressed thread tool is made of high-quality stainless steel, which is durable and has a long service life.
  • Convenient & simple design: The pressed thread tool is easy to use, and it can be used for many times. you can also use it as a small tool in your kitchen.
  • Widely uses: This pressed thread tool is suitable for all kinds of cutting tools, such as metal, stainless steel, plastic, wood, ceramics, etc.
Click to expand...
That sounds suspiciously like marketing copy written in Chinese and translated into English.

When I worked for a medical device company, we had to translate our user manuals into German, along with French, Italian, and Spanish in order to CE mark them. We had a native in our German office who was fluent in English and she said she would take ion the German translation. Mind you that she was technically astute and she knew our product line well.

She ran through the first draft and as I was the engineering manager and had two years of German in college, I was assigned to assist her in providing descriptions for some of the technical terms she encountered so she could find an appropriate translation. It was amazing how difficult it was to come up with accurate translations.

German is a highly technical language and has the unique ability to create new words by compounding simpler words. Imagine this task if it was for a language like Chinese. Good technical translations require a person who is totally fluent in both languages and has a sufficient technical knowledge of the product and its uses.
 
MrWhoopee said:
We're all used to ad copy that is gibberish. This, from a listing for carbide threading inserts on AE, takes it to another level. Trying to envision a use for a threading insert in the kitchen.

Product sellpoints​

  • Stainless steel: The pressed thread tool is made of high-quality stainless steel, which is durable and has a long service life.
  • Convenient & simple design: The pressed thread tool is easy to use, and it can be used for many times. you can also use it as a small tool in your kitchen.
  • Widely uses: This pressed thread tool is suitable for all kinds of cutting tools, such as metal, stainless steel, plastic, wood, ceramics, etc.
Click to expand...
My bet is the tool is not as good as their english.
 
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