Shelf Life - Hardcover

Walford, Rosie; West, Paul; Benson, Paula

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0747575169 ISBN 13: 9780747575160

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, 2004

Synopsis

What was the Peruvian brand manager thinking of when he named his delicious tuna 'Grated Fanny'? Do Italians cleaning their bathrooms with 'Smac' or 'Toke' scrub with wilder arm movements and wider eyes? And how do you fancy tucking in to a packet of 'Chubi' or a bar of 'Plopp' chocolate with your afternoon tea? Shelf Life is a stunning full-colour collection of over 100 of the more, shall we say, colourful products gracing the shelves of the global marketplace. More characterful than any global mega-brand, the local goods gathered here don't kowtow to foreign marketing concerns. From 'Puke' playing cards to 'Climax' disinfectant, 'Colon' washing powder to 'Cocagne' mackerel fillets and 'Kack liquorice, this is a bitingly funny and stylish celebration of glorious misadventures in translation.

About this title

From the Author:

Big bland megabrands may be spreading all over the world, but, thank god, there's also Shelf Life – real local products which don’t give a damn how we English speakers might interpret their names.

We think Plopp chocolate is to be admired. Our day is definitely livened up with a nice cup of Hardon tea. They are signs that globalisation hasn’t - quite yet - homogenized our world.

But, tragically, our Shelf Life heroes are not long for this world. Global brands squish locals out of the market and many in our collection have already gone the way of the dinosaurs. The perky Bra milk, for example, has become dreary old Natur. So at our website, we've created an on-line gallery to document this endangered species before it’s too late. If you have found shelflife on your travels, please submit it to us ...who knows, you might even win a prize.

About the Author:

Rosie Walford, ex-writer and journalist, devises communications for development charities. Paul West and Paula Benson are graphic designers.

About this edition

• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0747575169
• ISBN 13: 9780747575160
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 144