Many European countries complain that English is used in  mass marketing to sell products but what is perhaps not so well appreciated is that the reverse is also true. As a post on Language on the Move points out, Lu, the biscuit makers, smother their confections in French as well as chocolate in the full knowledge that the words invoke positive associations without necessarily being understood. Perhaps, the most famous example of this is Audi's Vorsprung durch Technik campaign from a few years ago, where positive national stereotypes were neatly wrapped up in a German phrase. The irony of all this is that while countries like France, Italy and Germany can reinforce brands using their languages when selling products internationally, it is almost impossible for the UK to do so because English is now such a universal language.

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