It’s All in the Name: 10 Times Brand Naming Has Epically Failed in the Middle East

If you know anything about starting a business, you’d know that, well, the brand name plays a huge part in establishing how people view and perceive your brand. Basically, your chosen brand can make or break you as a business.

Some creative Arab entrepreneurs have decided to defy all odds and reason and choose the most contradicting, ridiculous and, frankly, unbelievably hilarious names for their small businesses.

Brace yourselves, we’re about to unleash brand names that have failed so hard, they almost won:

 

 

Egypt’s “Abdo Talawoth”

 

Loosely translated as Abdo’s Pollution, this is actually the name of an Egyptian sandwich restaurant, believe it or not. Hey, at least they’re being up front about the possibility of the presence of any rather unconventional and unhygienic extra ingredients, right?

 

 

Bahrain’s “Al Kandarh”

 

The Arabic translation of this brand name is pretty much “The Shoe”. Yes, someone actually named their restaurant “The Shoe” and no one actually tried to stop them. We, as a race, are definitely going places.

 

 

Egypt’s “Zizo Natana”

 

Much like its former, this restaurant, also located in Cairo, carries the rather puke-inducing name: “Zizo’s Stench”. Who’s up for a game of edible Russian roulette? Let’s take chances with the well-being of our digestive tract and head over there, shall we?

 

 

Iraq’s “Arab Shat Fresh Fish”

 

We cannot help but question just how fresh these fish are. This is just a classic example of translation gone terribly wrong and concrete proof that just a single missing letter can totally ruin the meaning of a sentence. “Shatt El Arab” is actually a river in Southern Iraq.

 

 

Egypt’s “Al Ga7sh”

 

What’s finny is that this restaurant is actually quite popular and successful despite its rather unappealing name: “The Mule”. We don’t know about you, but if ever we find ourselves dining there, we’ll definitely be avoiding any meat-containing dishes.

 

 

Saudi Arabia’s “Sale of Chicken Murder”

 

Located in Jeddah, this particular poultry vendor seems to be on a mission to turn all potential customers into vegetarians by telling it like it truly is. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the amusing result you get when you decide to name your store based on Google Translate.

 

 

Egypt’s “Weh Heya 3amla Eih Mn Ta7t?”

 

Taking some of Amr Diab’s infamous lyrics and twisting them around a bit, this Egyptian mechanic decided to name his automobile repair store “and how is she (meaning the car) doing downstairs?” In the process, he proves to us that human creativity knows no limits.

 

 

Egypt’s “Dala3 Kershak”

 

This restaurant, located in Cairo, gets right down to business and boasts what its food will do to your body: it will “Pamper Your Chubby Belly”. That, folks, is superb brand name selection right there.

 

 

Saudi Arabia’s “Salon Al Asla3”

 

The owner of this hair salon is obviously a lover of controversy since they just went ahead and named their business “The Bald One’s Salon” and all. Needless to say, we’d rather infinitely grow out our hair than get a haircut there – although we hear the Barbarian look’s in right now, anyway!

 

 

Egypt’s “Ghawy Khosara”

 

Being humble is definitely a virtue and the owner of this mobile phone services store definitely takes that to a whole new level by literally naming their store “I Draw in/Crave Losses.”

 

 

This entertaining list is definitely a marketeer’s worst nightmare, but hey, at least we get a few laughs out of the epic failures of others. Dear Karma, please accept our sincerest apologies.

 

 

WE SAID THIS: Don’t miss Only In Egypt: 8 Translation Fails.