OTTIAQ

The dangers of a bad translation

Ordre des traducteurs, terminologues et interprètes agréés du Québec

The Ordre des traducteurs, terminologues et interprètes agréés du Québec (OTTIAQ) is the largest association of language professionals in Canada.

  • Commercials
  • Media strategy and planning

    • Words of warning

    Camden has been working with OTTIAQ, Quebec’s professional body for accredited French-language translators, interpreters and terminologists since 2019. Our 2020 campaign was a playful word game with a call to action. But in 2021 things got serious.

    Built around the tagline “Don’t let a bad translation get the last word”, we developed and produced a series of video ads that draw on real-life situations to illustrate the potentially devastating consequences of inaccuracies, omissions and ambiguities in translation.

    Safety first

    OTTIAQ had identified poorly translated instruction manuals as a potential source of danger for average consumers. Whether for an infant car seat, a camping stove or a chainsaw, a mistranslation could put lives at risk. The main message? Not hiring an OTTIAQ member could have dire consequences.

    Three-pronged targeting

    Camden’s media department in Toronto crafted a digital-oriented strategy with three target audiences: companies that require French translations of product information, a wider business audience, and translators who are not yet OTTIAQ members.

    la Pensée rebelle

    “OTTIAQ’s mission is to protect the public—and a bad translation can be exceptionally dangerous. We want to make sure people are aware of those risks, as well as the benefits of hiring a certified translator. The message we’re sending with these carefully executed videos is sure to leave a lasting impression, especially when it comes time to translate warnings, instruction manuals or user guides.”

    Diane Cousineau, Certified Translator, MBA and Executive Director of OTTIAQ

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