Transcreation and Peter Crouch

This is Thierry Henry starring in the French version of Shark Ninja's Summer of Sports ad video. It also stars Peter Crouch. How do you make Peter Crouch speak French when he doesn’t?

Obviously, you have to dub him with the right VO.

But what should he say? Who would write his lines?

A translator? Easy: follow the script in English, translate, bish bash bosh, done.

No.

A translation agency offering transcreation services? You mean a translation agency that uses translators pretending to be transcreators with no training in advertising, as it is almost always the case? You wouldn’t fetch a creative in such a place, would you? Remember, these agencies pay by the word. Translation agencies and translators have no role in advertising and should not be involved in the industry at any level, from script development to packaging.

So, no.

Because what you need is a creative. Of the same calibre as the creative who wrote the script in the first place. Where do you get such a person?

Whether you have access to a French creative through your network or not, it is often thought that a French creative living in France is the best guarantee to get the right transcreation available.

Again, no.

Only 19 % of the French population speaks English. French copywriters in France don’t automatically guarantee you the right transcreation. I have stacks of examples of mindbogglingly ridiculous transcreations produced by agencies or brands themselves.

Creatives in agencies who are given transcreation jobs are generally not interested in the task because it is not their creation. These kinds of jobs are usually given to juniors who couldn’t care less.

Imagine this happening to your campaign. Landing on the laps of someone like that.

And in this specific case, how do you know this French copywriter knows who Peter Crouch is? And cares enough to write a VO script credible enough? Someone living in France with zero interest in football?

So, once more, wrong solution.

So, who do you turn to?

Someone who is a French copywriter and transcreator, who works as a copywriter in global advertising, with decades of experience and knows all the pitfalls of the job. And living in London at the heart of the advertising industry and knowing as a matter of principle the French advertising industry, the market, the culture, and all the necessary tools, able to deliver effective transcreation.

You mean me. And foreign creatives I have access to, who are also specialists. No translators, no agencies pretending to offer transcreation services, and no random copywriters with the right passport. Being French is no mark of guarantee.

So, now Peter Crouch can speak French, with the right repartee and TOV. Done! And if you’re French and you know about international football, it all makes sense.