Leslie Forman
August 28, 2011 — By Leslie Forman

Looks like this Chilean paper company needs a new Chinese copywriter…

The convenience store I frequent inconveniently did not have what I was looking for, but it did have something even more inspiring: pañuelos desechables (disposable handkerchiefs). Why did these inspire me? Let me count the ways… 夏 (xia), the character in the center of this side of the tissue box,  means “summer.” And 音 (yin), the character […]

The convenience store I frequent inconveniently did not have what I was looking for, but it did have something even more inspiring: pañuelos desechables (disposable handkerchiefs). Why did these inspire me? Let me count the ways…

夏 (xia), the character in the center of this side of the tissue box,  means “summer.”

And (yin), the character in the middle of this side of the box, means “sound.”

So, if we put it all together, what do we get?

The sound of summer is blowing your nose? Summer sounds better with Elite facial tissues?

To add another layer to this pun, the Spanish word for “blow your nose” is sonar — very literally, to make noise. So could it be: make noise this summer with Elite Premium facial tissues? Hmmmm….

Well Elite’s copywriter is clearly more skilled in Spanish than in Chinese. The slogan under the brand name, Maxima Suavidad, means “maximum softness,” which speaks right to the benefits of this product. And the line of text at the bottom is even better: triple hoja polisuavizados. The tissues are “three ply” and the copywriter has invented a word that seems to imply a multi-step softening process.

I discovered this box of tissues on my way to a meeting, during which I helped Chinese and Chilean businessmen understand each other. We spent many hours together on the road, which gave me plenty of time to extrapolate what this clumsy copywriting could mean for the current state of China-Chile relations. (Yes, I know, I know… there is lots and lots of Chinglish in China, and it’s inspired giggle-worthy photos like this one.)

Here in Chile, I see plenty of enthusiasm for China, in terms of business opportunities, language, and cuisine. For the Chinese, Chile is an untapped source for natural resources, wine, and specialty produce. This is well-intentioned and it’s early in the game.

So, where to go from here? Perhaps the best first step is to brainstorm a better Chinese slogan for this brand of facial tissues. I mean, if Elite is eager to use Chinese, perhaps it’s best to use the language to describe the benefits of this product. How about…

春风 (spring breeze)

幸福 (happiness)

顺利 (smooth and successful)

What would you suggest? Are the characters just there for decoration? Am I reading into this too much? It’s the sound of summer.