In 2009, HSBC announced a reported $10 million rebrand of its private bank. Part of the backstory, as reported at the time: the bank’s long-running “Assume Nothing” tagline had been mistranslated in some countries as “Do Nothing”. Not quite the message a bank wants to send.
You don’t need a global budget to make the same mistake. Every week, businesses across the Gulf run English ads through a translation tool, paste the Arabic into Canva, and wonder why the Arabic version underperforms. The words are technically correct. The ad just doesn’t work.
Translation vs transcreation
| Translation | Transcreation | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Same meaning, same words | Same effect, best words |
| Starts from | The source sentence | The brief: audience, emotion, action |
| Can change | Almost nothing | Idioms, examples, tone, imagery, even the offer |
| Best for | Contracts, policies, manuals, medical info | Ads, slogans, social posts, landing pages, emails |
| Who does it | A translator | A bilingual copywriter |
Five ways literal Arabic translations fail
1. Idioms that die in transit
“It’s a piece of cake”, “hit the ground running”, “game-changer”, “no-brainer”. Translated literally, they range from confusing to absurd. Arabic has its own rich idioms — use them, or say the thing plainly.
2. The wrong register
Translation tools default to formal Modern Standard Arabic. A playful English Instagram caption becomes a stiff official announcement. (See Gulf Arabic vs MSA.)
3. Word order and rhythm
English hooks often lead with a punchy fragment: “Summer. Sorted.” Arabic punch comes from different structures. A word-for-word version loses the rhythm that made the line work.
4. Left-to-right design
Arabic reads right to left. A before → after image laid out left to right reads as after → before to an Arabic reader. Arrows, timelines, progress bars, carousels and even the position of a product next to text all need mirroring. An oft-repeated (and possibly apocryphal) story describes a detergent ad showing dirty clothes on the left and clean on the right — which, read right to left, suggests the product makes clothes dirty. True or not, the design lesson is real.
5. Cultural mismatch
Some references don’t travel: Western holidays, certain humour, imagery that conflicts with local norms. And some local moments — Ramadan, Eid, National Day — deserve their own creative, not a translated generic ad.
What transcreation looks like
The literal version keeps “don’t sweat” — which in Arabic just means “don’t perspire”. The transcreated version keeps the idea (relax, we’ll handle it) in a natural Gulf register.
Transcreation can also sharpen the offer. Gulf property buyers often care about payment plans, so the Arabic line adds one. (Only if the offer is true, of course.)
A 6-step transcreation process
- Write a message brief, not a script. Audience, the one thing they should feel, the one thing they should do, the offer, the tone, the must-keep facts.
- Choose the register and market. UAE or Saudi? Social or email? Light dialect or MSA?
- Draft Arabic from the brief. Not from the English copy. AI is good at this if you give it the brief and say “adapt, don’t translate”.
- Lock the facts. Prices, dates, conditions and legal wording must match exactly across languages.
- Mirror the design. Right-to-left layout, Arabic-first fonts, numerals chosen consistently.
- Native review and test. A native speaker from the target market reads it aloud. Then let performance decide between two versions.
When you should translate literally
Transcreation is for persuasion. For obligations — terms and conditions, refund policies, medical information, contracts, safety instructions — accuracy beats flair. Use professional translation and legal review, and make sure the Arabic and English say exactly the same thing.
Transcreation with Cotnek
Under every piece of writing in Cotnek you’ll find a one-click Arabic version (or English version) that rewrites the message in natural Gulf Arabic, adapting it for the audience instead of translating word for word. Because Cotnek already knows your business profile — your offer, customers and tone — the Arabic draft starts from the message, not just the sentence. For anything high-stakes, still have a native reader sign it off. More ideas: 60 Arabic Instagram captions for businesses.
Sources
- WealthBriefing: HSBC Private Bank rebrands (2009); Campaign; Retail Banker International.
- CSA Research, “Can’t Read, Won’t Buy”.
Describe what you need in English or Arabic. Cotnek prepares the campaign, the posts, the landing page or the follow-up — and waits for your approval before anything goes live.
