In this email, we explain the factors that go into the successful localization of corporate logos into Arabic. We look at examples of logos from highly recognizable world class companies, judging them on how well logo elements were carried over from the English into Arabic.

For a logo to be successful, it must be able to instantly communicate a company's essence, be distinctive and be identifiable. Transferring these key qualities from the source language into Arabic brings the challenges of preserving stylistic integrity, retaining identifiability, and incorporating key visual cues while adapting them to the target audience's cultural vocabulary.

"The World on Time"®

FedEx's brand identity is not so much about promptness as it is about keeping promises. They want you to trust them. They want your worries to end the moment you leave your package with them - not to start. You could have dropped a multi-million dollar business proposal into an isolated street corner drop box to be delivered overseas to a country to which you've never been. At this point you should feel as if you want to start a nail-chewing marathon until you receive that international call (or email) confirming receipt of package. But incredibly, instead of starting this habit, you breathe a sign of relief and walk away.

FedEx knows that by allowing its customers to track packages, they are providing an outlet for self-pacification. The FedEx customer experience is trust and security. They want to inspire confidence. The FedEx logo is a reflection of that.

The distinctive purple and hot orange color scheme imparts a near sportslike focus on their goal of package delivery. The bold arrow which in the original version rests in the negetive space between the 'e' and the 'x' finds its place in the Arabic logo between the 'كـ' and the 'س' [k & s]. The direction of the arrow suggests forward motion in both versions. "Forward" for the English speaker is left to right while for Arabic speakers, progression is read from right to left.

Stylistically, the Arabic logo is on the mark. Linguistically, there are some weaknesses. The two short 'e' sounds in "FedEx" are represented in the Arabic version as the letter 'ي' which could be read as either a long 'e' or initial 'y', making the pronunciation into "feed eeks" or "feed yeks". The substitution of the 'ي' for a short 'e' is also found in the second 'e' of Express, converting it to "Eks·prees". This convention, while phonetically inaccurate, is a widespread practice.

Note: "FedEx Express" is a brand name. As such, it is proper to transliterate "Express". However, if it were used as a service description, a term such as الخدمة السريعة (Express Service) would have been more appropriate.

PIZZA HUT

Pizza Hut's brand is built on customer experience. People chose Pizza Hut to experience its casual, family-friendly atmosphere.

The Arabic logo is effective in conveying the fun and casual experience which is at the heart of the brand. This is done by transferring the bold brush strokes of the English script, to create an Arabic font style that is uniquely identifiable with the chain.

The localized version successfully incorporates all non textual design elements. The red roof of the hut and jaunty yellow underline are left untouched. The green leaf which adorns the "i" in the English logo fulfills a similar role in Arabic - dotting the "ز" (z).

The phonetic transliteration of "Pizza Hut" is accurate, while accomodating language specific pronunciation conventions (see below). Pizza Hut has done a winning job localizing its logo into Arabic. It scores high on all grounds. Much of this success is owed to the fact that graphical design elements weigh heavy in establishing brand identity.

؟ Did you know ?
There is no "p" in the authentic Arabic alphabet? The p's in both Pizza and in Express are interpreted as "b". As the alphabet came to be used by other languages such as Farsi and Urdu, the letter set was expanded to accomodate "p" and other sounds not native to Arabic such as "v" and "zh".

These extended characters are rarely used in the Arabic speaking world. When they are, it is only intermittantly employed on foreign products or foreign names where accurate pronunciation is necessary.

The need for education about Arabic localization and technology issues is becoming apparent. This email is one of a series that will highlight issues in localizing for the Arabic language.

This email was written and distributed by Alawy, LLC. Alawy specializes in Arabic language technology development and localization. In tandem, Alawy also provides cultural, market & language consulting services.

Alawy, LLC. 57 57 Warren Street Norwich, CT 06360 United States of America Tel: 1 (860) 859-3564 83 Thacher Street Milton, MA 02186 United States of America Telephone: 1 (617) 273-0102.

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"The World on Time" is a trademark of, and Federal Express logos (English and Arabic) are Registered Trademarks of FedEx Corporation. The Pizza Hut name, logos, and related marks are trademarks of Pizza Hut, Inc.
Alawy is in no way affiliated with either FedEx or Pizza Hut, Inc. Nor were we in any way involved with the localization of their respective trademarks.