If you’ve ever been tasked with producing a spot in Spanish, chances are you’ve seen that it tends to get a little more complicated than just a translation from English. The potential pitfalls (though sometimes humorous) of mis-translations and content inaccuracies can drive you loco, pronto.
Though still in the same zoo, Spanish advertising is a different animal. Watch any commercial break on Univision, Telemundo or the like and you’ll certainly get hip to the fact that the ads can differ substantially from what you’re used to seeing on English channels. Many of the same brands with similar advertising concepts, but with different approaches as far as tone, tempo, etc. Proper translation is essential, but there are a lot of other things to consider when making the language leap to Spanish; such as confirming cultural translations of ideas (yes, oddly enough our obsession with bacon isn’t as widespread in other cultures), regional accents and dialects of the talent, and most importantly, the spot’s length after the translation to avoid any mid-session gotchas. And then there’s the job of directing the talent’s performance…
That’s where we come in. Over the past decade we’ve helped multiple clients with this task and have seen the number of spots we produce in Spanish almost triple every year. Having a bi-lingual liaison in the room can help break down language barriers, can calm the nerves of the client and ensure that the spot is on target. We’ve also developed working relationships with people and talent locally and abroad who can help make the entire process much easier for you. So, if you need a hand finding a translator, a recommendation for talent, or some ammo to help convince clients of the need to cut copy, just give us a call. We’re here for you, amigo.
Here are a few samples:
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