Watchmaking, automotive, fashion, cosmetics… on top of being a part of numerous domains, luxury is sought after all across the world. The irreproachable quality of the products is built upon demanding content with high added value. It goes without saying that the linguist adaptation must be perfect. It’s the brand’s image itself that is at stake! Translating content from a promotional video represents a particular challenge: why and how to proceed?
A necessity
If there is one sector where the words must be chosen with the utmost care, it is of course in the luxury industry. Refinement embodied, this sector creates a certain poetry in service of beauty and perfection. At all costs, you must avoid creating a sense of incredulity or skepticism with vague subtitles! Instead, you must elicit emotion, desire, and loyalty to a prestigious product. Inspiration requires appropriate language! Nothing should be left to chance or overlooked.
Moreover, the luxury industry, of course, has not avoided the digital revolution. They face the challenge with the same exigencies: promotional videos with outstanding editing, short films that are on par with what you would find in the cinema and starring icons of the silver screen, dedicated sites with integrated ads, reports and interviews. Brands bet it all on multimedia. Videos are at the heart of communication strategies!
The language of luxury
Precise in order to respond to the technicity of your product, the demanding language must also evoke a sense of pleasure. It’s goal is to extol the merits of a product that celebrates beauty and perfection. It is, at once, a part of the artistic domain… and that of the economy! How do you translate the nuanced fragrance of perfume, the harmonious notes of a champagne, the beautiful lines of a luxury vehicle, all while lauding its technology?
Let’s take, for example, the colours used in the fashion industry. The colour spectrum in the domain is centred on imagery that demonstrates its crucial importance. On their online journal, a specialised translator has brought up the case of the colour “blanc cassé” (off-white), which could literally be translated to “bianco sporco” in Italian. However, “sporco” may mean “dirty”, therefore the translation could instead be something like “bianco antico” (ancient white) or “avorio” (ivory). And when you know the nuances differentiating cream, light beige or ecru, some brands prefer not translating terms associated with their collections. A translator must be aware of these phenomena to avoid committing a grave error!
What is the best market to monitor for a perfect translation of content?
Voiceover…
It is only very rarely that translations include voiceovers. On top of being very choppy, dubbing just isn’t optimal. Unless you have at your disposal a widely recognised voice (like that of celebrity), it may come off as cheap. And there is no graver error when what you sell is the very idea of priceless luxury. A brand’s product reflects the very image of the brand and its roots. French charm, American self-assurance, Italian seduction… the spoken words find their power in their exotic nature. It is usually the case that a luxury product is appreciated for what it represents in the collective imagination: French perfume, Italian watches, American bourbons.
…or subtitles?
Two options: have your video transcribed, if you have don’t have subtitles, or have them translated if you do. Quickly read and associated with an image, your subtitles must be powerful. Of course, but why are they so essential? With autoplay on the rise (videos and ads playing automatically in a window), videos must be able to play without any sound. And that’s why it’s important to have subtitles, when it’s viewed “in the wild”, it will still be able to capture users’ attentions and reveal what the words behind the images. Another benefit, subtitling allows your video to be indexed on search engines, something that simple audio does not… and the Internet, like luxury, knows no boundries. The transcription of your videos allows you to generate more traffic.
Don’t neglect translation
A seasoned translator is infused with the universe of the brand and masters the codes of communication within this domain. The language of luxury requires, like any specialised domain, specific competencies. Both structured and refined, the professional translator is at the service of strong, recognizable brands and is responsible for conveying their image. They adhere to specific values and address a specific target audience. Using a precise glossary, they guarantee quality and coherent style in every language.
Noble materials, innovative technology and years of know-how side-by-side with exoticism and poetry. The translator must be precise, perfectly employing evocative language necessary for eliciting emotion. The creation of subtitles is a restrictive in a number of ways, starting with read times. A veritable exercise in creativity!
Would you like to know more about glossaries? Learn about the rules and tips for creating a good translation glossary in this article.
The challenge of translation
Showcasing exacting containers – with language as technical as evocative – for exacting content… A prestigious product.
NB
In France, the law requires certain videos to be transcribed, in a precise context, for the hard of hearing. The French CSA monitors its application: “Subtitles for the deaf or hard of hearing are a written transcript of the comments and dialogues announced during a televised programme. Complementary information, such as the colour and positioning of the text on the image, are generally provided in order to allow viewers to identify the various speakers and to thus facilitate the comprehension of the programme by the viewer.”
Luxury is eminently international. It knows no boundaries and is thus perfectly suited for translation. The translation is built upon a language that is both shared and international, centred around the universe of the brand. All the prestige garnered by a brand, its very image, requires quality multilingual content. The translation of your videos, an essential element of your communication strategy, must be irreproachable to onboard your prospects. It is a source of value, in the service of your reputation!
LEARN MORE
Looking to implement online training for your team? Content for e-learning platforms must be on par with the challenges unique to your brand, and that in every language. Opt for a professional e-learning platform (LMS) and adapt your training modules to your target objectives and your different groups of trainees. Then, localise and translate all your content (classes, testing modules, games, videos, etc.) in all the languages needed for your target audience. To learn more, we recommend you read the article on “How to easily implement an e-learning solution”.
