The nova story is urban legend
Indeed, as far as anyone (including myth debunker Snopes.com) can tell, this Nova blunder never occurred. No record exists of a campaign to sell Novas in any Latin American country and, even if the alleged campaign had existed, it probably would not have flopped due to its moniker. “Nova,” a single word, actually means the same thing in Spanish as it does in English and is a reference to stars, not an object’s ability to move. In fact, for years, the Mexican government-owned petroleum company Pemex sold gasoline under the brand name Nova, and the name did not cause any problems for them.
The Chevy Nova is not the only urban legend spread throughout international marketing circles. Like the childhood game of telephone, which illustrates the errors created when tales are passed down the line, many international marketers and journalists have inadvertently shared similarly debunked anecdotes. When I first heard the Chevy Nova story and others like it, I also repeated them several times before others corrected me. Fortunately, true stories can illustrate the same global branding lessons.
hmmm - well it was 15 years ago in a marketing class that I heard that story for the first time. Prof could have just been passing on legends.
The coke stuff I’m positive of due to my own translation work for a Chinese class, a prof. I trusted (worked OSS post WWII), and lots of articles on both Coke and Pepsi getting established in China.
That marketing story was taught as real to people in marketing at GM and EDS(owned by GM at the time of it being used). GM’s biggest marketing blunder. EDS’s dealt with dress culture and Harley Davison.
Thanks for the debunk!
...myth debunker Snopes.com
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Not arguing with your conclusions here, but snopes is not to be trusted.