Copy Corner: Part 2

Shortly after arriving in Japan I went shopping at Daiso for some kitchenware. I found some cute little glasses with strawberries and apples on them and decided they needed to come home with me. It wasn’t until I got them home that I really read the English copy on the sides, and the apple glass is downright bizarre:

 

Here’s what it says, transcribed exactly as it appears on the glass:

“you like fruit

this greenapple is fresh and very popular

It makes you unlifting and yammy

How you make much better life?

Take a bit out of life

Fun, Fruity &vibrant fragrance

happiness!”

Every time I read this glass, I wonder who wrote it and how they got a job writing English copy for a huge franchise like Daiso. In my last “copy corner” post I wrote about how charming some of the copy can be, and how a new, stylized version of English might be emerging in Japan. 

This is just a lack of understanding of even rudimentary English grammar. I’ve honestly seen better grammar in my students’ essays. 

I still love the glass, of course. This one’s coming back to Canada with me. I just really want to meet the guy or girl who wrote this and find out how they got into the business, why they chose English copy writing. I want this person’s life story!

The really interesting thing is that the grammar on the strawberry glass is actually pretty good:

“A refreshing and delicious fruit

Strawberries are a popular addition to dairy products, 

Strawberry flavored ice cream,

milkshakes,

smoothies and yogurts and home-made jams with honey

Attractive an enlarged receptacle,

non-reproductive material”

Wait, what? Enlarged receptacle? What are we talking about here? Like, strawberries are large receptacles? Of what, flavour? That’s what I assume it’s supposed to mean. What’s this about non-reproductive material, though? Isn’t fruit the reproductive part of a plant? I’m starting to think this copy wasn’t written by an actual botanist, you guys!

Did I say before that the grammar isn’t so bad on the strawberry glass?

Hmm. I wonder if I could get a job writing copy for Daiso products. That would probably be the funnest job in history.

I imagine it would be unlifting and yammy.