Burger King has raised some eyebrows with its latest menu addition in China, called the “PooPoo Smoothie.”
The drink as similar to a Taiwanese boba tea, or bubble tea, and has pulp-like “pearls” inside that are supposed to “explode in your mouth upon consumption,” according to the Daily Meal.
Despite its name, the mango-flavored smoothie is actually quite good, according to a review by the Wall Street Journal.
“‘PooPoo’ is pretty embarrassing as far a corporate slip-ups go, although similar translating faux pas have occurred before, and not only by foreign firms,” the Journal’s Chao Deng and Laurie Burkitt write. “In an email, the fast-food chain said the product’s actual English name is ‘Mango Smoothie with Juicy Bubble’ and that the alternative moniker, dreamed up by a creative agency, was ‘an element of our visual design’ that was subsequently removed from digital menus after a customer complaint.”
Other examples of brand names that have unfortunate translations include “Pee Cola,” a drink made in Ghana, and “Barf” detergent, which is manufactured in Iran where the name means “snow.” Find more examples at Mental Floss.
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