Engelsk int.kul.mark.komm afl 2
Rikke Harbo, 5 semester
afleveres d. 10 okt. 2005
Assignment 2
Adaptation of the Hipp advertisement –from German into Danish
Abstract
This research paper discusses and accounts for the differences and adaptations which have been
made from the German into the Danish Hipp advertisement. In order to describe the changes that
have been made I have employed the indicative tables of advertisement aspects, Geert Hofstede’s
and Edward Hall’s cultural dimension models.
Preface
The increasing trend of globalization e.g. global trade, global companies and global economies has
lead companies to communicate with the consumers as cosmopolitans, however providing for
different language and cultures traits. The local and cultural aspects have become very important for
the companies in order to initiate and maintain contact with consumers across boundaries. And
within the framework of global communication the international advertisements plays a key role for
the companies.
A literal translation of an advertisement is often not a good solution because of the language and
culture as mentioned above. The translator should probably try to develop a culture-specific
communication style which directly addresses the type of culture you are dealing with. In 1991
Geert Hofstede1 developed a model of five dimensions2 of national cultures to clarify fundamental
value differences, which could be of great help to the translator when adapting an advertisement
into another language. Furthermore the anthropologist Edward Hall3 also distinguished patterns of
culture e.g. “the concept of context” i. e. “high-text and low-text communication.4”
Some of Hofsted’s dimensions will not be toughed upon in my research paper, because they are less
important in my comparison and others will be more thoroughly employed. However, the existence
of them all are important to be aware of in connection with cross cultural communication and
“During 1978-83, the Dutch cultural anthropologist Geert Hofstede conducted detailed interviews with hundreds of
IBM employees in 53 countries. Through standard statistical analysis of fairly large data sets, he was able to determine
patterns of similarities and differences among the replies. From this data analysis, he formulated his theory that world
cultures vary along consistent, fundamental dimensions” (http://www.tri.sbc.com/hfweb/marcus/hfweb00_marcus.html)
2
“Power Distance, Individualism, Masculinity, Uncertainty Avoidance and Long-term Orientation”. (Geert Hofstede’s
Cultural Cultural Dimensions p 1)
3
“In 1960 Edward Hall contrasts high context and low context. How people communicate is both
implicit and explicit. However, this does not apply for communication only, but in a way
people and organisation do business.” (http://66.249.93.104/search?q=cache:jg65hG1drAJ:www.impgroup.org/uploads/papers/4328.pdf+Edward+Hall+high+and+low-communication&hl=da)
4
De Mooij, 2004: 182
1
1
Engelsk int.kul.mark.komm afl 2
Rikke Harbo, 5 semester
afleveres d. 10 okt. 2005
advertisement. Moreover, I would like to point out that Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory has
its own limitations and should be considered more as a guideline than the definitive answer. The
reason for that is among other things that cultural changes have naturally taken place since the data
were collected more than twenty years ago and due to the uncertain factor combined with the use of
questionnaires e.g. do people within a culture perceive the interview questions the same way.
Communication styles
Taking a look at the two Hipp advertisements it is quite obvious for the viewer/reader that there are
a lot of differences and a lot of adaptations have been made when adapting the German
advertisement into Danish, which I will try to account for in the first part of my paper leaning on
Hofstede’s and Halls’ models.
Uncertainty avoidance
Germany is according to Hofstede’s analysis a high uncertainty avoidance country in contrast to
Denmark, which is a low uncertainty avoidance country5. In cultures of strong uncertainty
avoidance like Germany the advertisements tend to be more serious and structured which also
characterize the German Hipp ad and it becomes more obvious when comparing it with the Danish
advertisement6.
Firstly, in the German ad the emphasis on structure and a more traditionally way of designing
advertisements reveal itself e.g. by the use of a longer headline and because of the content it also
seems more “heavy” to read than the Danish headline. “The most important thing to remember here
is that your headline must be short and snappy. People just don't read as much as they used to.7”
Secondly, the German text body is typed without paragraphs which make the text much more
compressed and disturb the taste for reading.
Thirdly, the German Hipp advertisement pictures an older male representative for the Hipp baby
food and he is dressed with a tie and in a lounge suit and surrounded by the nature and calve, while
the Danish ad pictures a baby and female breasts. This conforms to Mooij’s Advertising Style figure
which shows that more humour is used in the weak uncertainty cultures and that ambiguity is
allowed8. The set-up with the baby and the breasts makes the Danish viewer smile. Another aspect
5
Hofstede Uncertainty Avoidance Index p 1
De Mooij, 2004: 194
7
http://adbusters.org/spoofads/printad/
8
De Mooij, 2004: 194
6
2
Engelsk int.kul.mark.komm afl 2
Rikke Harbo, 5 semester
afleveres d. 10 okt. 2005
of the use of humour in the Danish advertisement is expressions as “[…] bryste sig med” and “[…]
når baby ikke længere kan mættes ved at åbne “køkkenet” i form af amme-BH’en.
Uncertainty cultures like Germany try to avoid uncertainty e.g. unknown, surprising and unusual
situations by setting up and relying on strict laws, rules and regulations9. The German ad nearly
mentions words such as statutory (gesetzlich), regulations (Vorschriften), law (Gesetz) and the
protection of the nature (Naturschutzgebiet) in every line of the text body, which stresses the
tendency of German law-making and bureaucracy in all parts of society. On the other hand the
relaxed relationship to nudity in the Danish advertisement reflects the fact that a “less-rules society”
is not afraid to take changes, because fact is that it could offend some people, which would likely be
the case in Germany10.
Masculinity/femininity
According to Hofstede’s theory Germany has a masculine culture. A high masculinity ranking
indicates that the country experiences a high degree of gender differentiation i. e. the distribution of
roles between the genders is high11. A low masculinity ranking indicates the country has a low level
of differentiation and discrimination between genders. Values in a masculine culture are e.g.
assertiveness, competition, material success, achievements and power as opposed to feminine
values as modest, caring and the quality of life12.
The Danish and German advertisements correspond very well with Hofstede’s theory concerning
masculine and feminine values, because the Danish advertisement indirectly or directly expresses
feminine values e.g. the female care, a mother’s love for her baby, naturalness and cuteness
contrary to the German advertisement which indirectly or directly expresses values such as strength,
achievement and competitive power e.g. “Wir sind strenger als das Gesetz”.
Another masculine trait is the use of a known personality in this case one of the three owners of the
company “Claus Hipp13.” His role is to present the product and make the German advertisement
seem more reliable, whereas in feminine cultures the personality and role of the presenter is
9
http://www.geert-hofstede.com/hofstede_germany.shtml
http://www.geert-hofstede.com/hofstede_germany.shtml
11
I should be noted that the gender differentiation has changed a lot in Germany according to my belief, since Hofstede
developed his model of natural cultures, and it seems that the number of e.g. full-time housewives has diminished and
keeps doing so, women are better represented in politics etc.
12
Hofstede Masculinity index p 1
13
“Sohn Claus übernahm gemeinsam mit seinen beiden Brüdern Georg und Paulus 1967 die Unternehmensführung und
baute den ökologischen Gedanken Schritt für Schritt aus” (http://www1.hipp.de/index.asp?lang=de)
10
3
Engelsk int.kul.mark.komm afl 2
Rikke Harbo, 5 semester
afleveres d. 10 okt. 2005
downplayed14. In the Danish advertisement the face of the female figure/presenter has been left out
for the benefit of the baby figure. It could maybe also be argued that Claus Hipp’s role is to increase
Hipp baby food brand awareness and provide the brand with status (I guarantee first-quality Biobeef) due to his position and professional knowledge. “In masculine cultures status products and
brands are important for demonstrating success….. status is not so important in feminine
cultures15.” In this connection I would like to mention that Claus Hipp’s role as an expert is very
characteristic for advertisements in a high uncertainty avoidance culture16, because in such cultures
the belief in “specialists” is strong opposed to weak uncertainty avoidance cultures which believe in
generalists17.
Low- or high-context communication
Despite the differences, which is important to be aware of for an advertisement translator, Germany
and Denmark are both “low-context communication cultures” according to the anthropologist
Edward Hall.18 Hall’s theory primarily deals with the degree of directness in the language which
can be witnessed and compared in intercultural encounters19.
In accordance with Hall’s theory the Danish as well as the German advertisement is characterized
by explicit communication (low-context communication) i.e. that the message is spelled out and
there is little or no implied meaning apart from the words that are being said opposed to highcontext cultures. The latter depends on the context and the nonverbal and indirect aspect of
communication e.g. symbols and music which requires that the communicators assume a great deal
of commonality of knowledge20. The low-context communication employed in the Danish and
German ad is more “in your face” and values “logic, facts, and directness21”. An example of “in
your face“ communication could be “Uns sind die gesetzlichen Vorschriften für die Rinderaufzucht
nicht streng genug” and “Du behøver ikke ét sekund at spekulere på, om indholdet er godt nok.” In
my opinion implications could easily arise if these different ways of communicating are not taken
into account in cross cultural settings, especially when low and high-context cultures communicate.
Without adaptations and the regard for cultural traits a Scandinavian advertisement would probable
14
De Mooij, 2004: 195
De Mooij, 2004: 183
16
For more information about a high uncertainty culture look the previous paragraph.
17
De Mooij, 2004: 184
18
http://www.analytictech.com/mb021/cultural.htm
19
De Mooij, 2004: 182
20
http://www.analytictech.com/mb021/cultural.htm
21
http://www.marin.cc.ca.us/buscom/index_page0009.htm.
15
4
Engelsk int.kul.mark.komm afl 2
Rikke Harbo, 5 semester
afleveres d. 10 okt. 2005
be found too blunt in Japan, while the Japanese ad would be found too secretive, symbolic and with
a lack of information in Scandinavian.
I have employed two of Hofstede’s cultural dimensions and Edward Hall’s two classic cultural
dimensions which I found central for my discussion of the differences between the Danish and
German Hipp advertisement. Hofsted’s and Hall’s theories help us understand consumer behaviour
and the aspects which are necessary to consider e.g. needs, motives and emotions when you plan
and design advertisements.
Indicative tables of advertisement localization aspects
Mathieu Guidere, Master in Arabic language and literature and Ph.D in Translation Studies and
Applied Linguistics, operates with “the verbal-graphic localization22” and “the iconographic
localization” in connection with possible adaptation strategies within advertisements23. Leaning on
Guidere’s model I will in my second part of my paper discuss and account for different cultural
signs, which are visible in the two advertisements and which are vital know-how for the
advertisement translator and which have not already been elaborated on in the first part of my
research paper.
The verbal-graphic localization
As an adaptation related to the product, the testimonials which Claus Hipp gives the reader “Bio
Rindfleisch –Dafür bürge ich – Claus Hipp” and “Wir sind strenger als das Gesetz. Unsere Rinder
sind Bio-Rinder” are not adapted into the Danish ad, since low uncertainty avoidance cultures as
Denmark do not believe in “institutions” and “specialists” which/who provide us with the absolute
truth as they often do in high uncertainty avoidance cultures as Germany24.
The most important adaptation related to the language in the Hipp advertisements is in my opinion
the way each ad communicates its message. The text body in the German ad provide the reader with
a small narrative which emphasizes and informs the reader about Hipp’s ecological breeding, what
the animals eat and where they live and the company’s compliance with ecological regulations. The
text body of the Danish advertisement is framed differently and appears more personally e.g. it
22
"Localization is the process of creating or adapting an information product for use in a specific target country or
specific target market." (http://web.letras.up.pt/bhsmaia/mtt/it/it4.htm)
23
24
http://www.translationdirectory.com/article60.htm
Hofstede uncertainty avoidance index p 1
5
Engelsk int.kul.mark.komm afl 2
Rikke Harbo, 5 semester
afleveres d. 10 okt. 2005
addresses the reader directly “du” and it provides the reader with information about the different
variants of Hipp baby food, the company’s year-long experience with ecological baby food and the
compliance with ecological standards and regulations is also mentioned, but not to the same extent
as in the German ad. Furthermore the Danish ad employs e.g. a humorous metaphoric construction
and a humorous idiomatic expression25” which would seem strange if employed in the German ad,
because of the serious content. The German advertisement uses a lot of compounds such as
“Babykosthersteller,” “Rinderaufzucht,” “Naturschutzgebiet,” “Bio-Rinder” etc, which in the
German language is almost impossible to avoid, but is however still a mark of a more technical
language and increases the difficulty of the readability.
According to the adaptations related to the culture the argumentation strategy seems very different
when comparing the two advertisements. The German ad makes use of ethical and political
arguments which tallies very well with the serious and more professional content of the German ad.
Ecological problems and the security of the environment are in the focus of attention today and it is
ethically and politically correct to be pro-ecology. This trend is in the Germany ad combined with
their tendency to regulate and legislate as earlier mentioned. The Danish ad also advertises that
Hipp baby food is controlled by stricter ecological regulations than those normally required in
Denmark. Nevertheless the difference is that the ecological restrictions are mentioned in the Danish
ad, while the German ad is saturated with ecological terms and associations.
The iconographic localization
Some of the adaptations which have been made related to the Hipp baby food product are the
centering and the image pairing. The Hipp baby food glass (product) is situated in the centre of the
Danish advertisement together with the baby (“target group”), while Claus Hipp (expert) and the
landscape (bio-correct associations) are in centre of the German advertisement. The baby food
glasses (product) even appear a bit blurred and remote from the centre of the picture in the German
ad. It is more important for the German ad to stress the fact that Hipp is ecological responsible and
that Hipp has set up and meets stricter company restrictions than the current laws request in
connection with breeding of animals.
The Danish ad contrasts with the German ad, since it appeals to softer values (feminine vs.
masculine) as earlier mentioned and therefore the image of the German advertisement, which Hipp
tries to “sell”, naturally has to be changed when adapted into Danish. The image and selling point of
25
which are mentioned at page 3
6
Engelsk int.kul.mark.komm afl 2
Rikke Harbo, 5 semester
afleveres d. 10 okt. 2005
the Danish advertisement seems to be year-long experience within ecological baby food (good
quality) and caring for your child, while the image and the selling point of the German
advertisement seems to be an exemplary compliance with regulations and a reliable eco-product.
The slogans also reflect these two different images: “Det bedste du kan servere, næst efter at lave
det selv” and “Das Beste aus der Natur.”
According to adaptations related to the culture the scenes and framework have been changed. The
image background is adapted the socio-cultural components in Denmark e.g. the rules of conduct
(nudity is acceptable) and social habits (humour and abandon) and in Germany e.g. the ethical
norms (ecology) and rules of conduct (conservatism, bureaucracy and the use of “experts.”)26 The
female breasts are not pictured in the German advertisement because of the respect of sensibility
and the tendency to serious content.
Conclusion
Today the local language and cultural traits are influential parameters when we talk about written or
audiovisual communication across cultures. For the global companies the culture-specific
communication style has become essential in order to avoid that the consumers reject their products
and advertisements. The German company Hipp appears to be a “polycentric company, which
integrates the cultural specificity of each country by adapting its advertisements as best as
possible.”27
The different communication strategies manifest themselves in the design, choice of picture, body
text, headline etc in the two Hipp advertisements. The German ad appears seriously and structured
in its choice of text, picture and headline and it provides the viewer with a lot of details about
Hipp’s image as an ecological company opposed to the Danish advertisement, which provides the
reader with less hard core and less professional information, but on the other hand employs humour,
which tally with the characteristics of strong and weak uncertainty cultures. The Danish ad is more
personified compared with the German ad which tends to be more bureaucratic. In this connection
the German ad also employs a “language economics” which contributes to a reduced legibility e.g.
the high number of compounds whereas the Danish ad seems to employ more everyday language.
Also, Germany is subordinate to more conservative values, which become apparent with the choice
of the two pictures; the Danish ad is picturing nudity and the German ad is picturing a harmonious
landscape. A weak uncertainty avoidance culture as Denmark, which is less-ruled, is not afraid to
26
27
http://www.translationdirectory.com/article60.htm
http://www.proz.com/translation-articles/articles/276/1/Translation-Practices-in-International-Advertising
7
Engelsk int.kul.mark.komm afl 2
Rikke Harbo, 5 semester
afleveres d. 10 okt. 2005
take changes and being innovative when designing advertisements. In general the German ad is
much more political and ethical correct compared with the Danish ad. The German ad does not
picture nudity and it is pro- ecology.
In masculine cultures and strong uncertainty cultures such as Germany the use of specialists and
known personalities in connection with the presentation of a product is very characteristic, while
feminine cultures and weak uncertainty cultures such as Denmark believe in generalists and a less
important role is ascribed the presenter. Claus Hipp, the German “expert” is supposed to assign
Hipp baby food with credibility and professionalism, while the Danish advertisement does not
employ a presenter, but the happiness of the baby could be an indirect presenter and is supposed to
ascribe the product with credibility.
However, a common feature would be that both ads rely on low-context communication i.e. a direct
and explicit way of communicating; both ads state facts and are direct communicators.
From a market communicative viewpoint it appears as if Hipp has integrated a certain amount of
cultural specific data, not only about marketing, basic communication and cultural signs, but also
about the iconographic and verbal-graphic localization in order to accomplish their advertising
mission in Germany as well as in Denmark. And not until a company masters the cultural signs etc.
and thereby “the technical cross-cultural know-how” it will succeed in controlling a real
communicative skill of interdisciplinary nature.
8
Engelsk int.kul.mark.komm afl 2
Rikke Harbo, 5 semester
afleveres d. 10 okt. 2005
9