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Elan “Taste the Translation” 2015

Elan “Taste the Translation” (2015) is an Elan commercial directed by Maarten Groen for J. Walter Thompson. It won 3 awards, including Cannes Lions 2015 Film Bronze, One Show 2015 Bronze Pencil — Film and Epica 2015 Silver Telecommunication & Public Services.

This ad humorously demonstrates the superior accuracy of Elan Languages' translation services compared to Google Translate by showing chefs and blindfolded tasters reacting to bizarre recipe interpretations.

Video: ELAN Languages on YouTube

Shot by shot

  1. An overhead shot of a wooden table with a white plate in the center, surrounded by various food ingredients and small toy animals.© Elan0:00
  2. A blindfolded woman with a checkered blindfold sits at a wooden table, smiling, with text overlayed on the screen.© Elan0:18
  3. A male chef with a beard stands with his arms crossed in a professional kitchen, with "THE Cooking" text overlaid.© Elan0:35
  4. A male chef in a white uniform stands in a modern kitchen, looking down at a pile of spinach on a cutting board, then picks up a frying pan.© Elan0:45
  5. A male chef in a white jacket and black and white gloves puts on safety glasses in a kitchen, with text overlaying the scene.© Elan0:55
  6. A person wearing black and white gloves uses an angle grinder, creating sparks as they work on a wooden surface in a kitchen.© Elan1:00
  7. A man's hands mix spinach, rice, and colorful paper flyers in a metal bowl on a wooden table, with text overlaying the scene.© Elan1:06
  8. A chef's hands carefully remove a springform pan from a savory cake made of layered crepes, rice, salmon, avocado, and cherry tomatoes on a wooden table.© Elan1:15
  9. A chef's hand places plastic toy horses onto a sushi cake, with a Google Translate caption overlayed on the screen.© Elan1:18
  10. A blindfolded woman with a checkered blindfold smiles as a server in a black uniform places a plate of food in front of her on a wooden table.© Elan1:28
  11. A blindfolded woman in a black t-shirt tastes a small portion of food from a spoon at a wooden table, with "GOOGLE TRANSLATE" text on the right.© Elan1:35
  12. A young woman, blindfolded with a checkered cloth, sits at a wooden table, holding a spoon and tasting a small dish.© Elan1:42

Stills © Elan. Made by J. Walter Thompson and Maarten Groen.

Every shot, full-quality frames and clips, and search across every commercial. Free account.

The idea

Bad translations lead to bad food, proving Elan's superior accuracy.

blind taste testcooking show parodytranslation gone wrongdirect comparisonhumorous exaggerationproduct demonstration

The cut

Length
112 s
Shots
33
Average shot
3.4 s

What creatives use Elan “Taste the Translation” for

  1. 01Reference frames for your treatment

    Pitching something with the feel of Elan “Taste the Translation”? A screenshot from a video player won't hold up in a deck.

    Download any frame of this spot at full quality, with its credits, or search every spot for the same look.

    An overhead shot of a wooden table with a white plate in the center, surrounded by various food ingredients and small toy animals.© ElanA blindfolded woman with a checkered blindfold sits at a wooden table, smiling, with text overlayed on the screen.© ElanA male chef with a beard stands with his arms crossed in a professional kitchen, with "THE Cooking" text overlaid.© ElanA male chef in a white uniform stands in a modern kitchen, looking down at a pile of spinach on a cutting board, then picks up a frying pan.© Elan
    Frames from Elan “Taste the Translation”

  2. 02Shot list example: how it was cut

    You need the structure of a great spot, shot by shot, for your storyboard.

    Every shot of Elan “Taste the Translation” in order, with its length, framing and what happens in it.

    An overhead shot of a wooden table with a white plate in the center, surrounded by various food ingredients and small toy animals.© ElanA blindfolded woman with a checkered blindfold sits at a wooden table, smiling, with text overlayed on the screen.© ElanA male chef with a beard stands with his arms crossed in a professional kitchen, with "THE Cooking" text overlaid.© ElanA male chef in a white uniform stands in a modern kitchen, looking down at a pile of spinach on a cutting board, then picks up a frying pan.© ElanA male chef in a white jacket and black and white gloves puts on safety glasses in a kitchen, with text overlaying the scene.© ElanA person wearing black and white gloves uses an angle grinder, creating sparks as they work on a wooden surface in a kitchen.© Elan
    Length: 112 s · Shots: 33 · Average shot: 3.4 s

  3. 03Ad ideas: every spot built on a blind taste test

    Before you present an idea, you need to know who has done it, and how.

    Elan “Taste the Translation” is built on a blind taste test. Search the library by idea to see every spot that uses it.

    Burger King “Whopper Virgins”© Burger KingMeijer Brand “Spinach”© Meijer BrandPepsi “The Choice”© PepsiDomino's Pizza “Friends Birthday”© Domino's Pizza
    Burger King · Meijer Brand · Pepsi · Domino's Pizza

More commercials by Maarten Groen

  • Veloretti "An Amsterdam Bicycle Story" (2018) commercial still© VelorettiVeloretti “An Amsterdam Bicycle Story” 2018Dir. Maarten Groen · Lemon Scented Tea

More from J. Walter Thompson

  • STC "What Are We Allowing" (2019) commercial still© STCSTC “What Are We Allowing” 2019J. Walter ThompsonDubai Lynx Grand Prix 2019
  • Savant "Fabogesic" (2016) commercial still© SavantSavant “Fabogesic” 2016J. Walter ThompsonClio Awards Gold 2016
  • British Army "Boots" (2014) commercial still© British ArmyBritish Army “Boots” 2014Dir. Simon Ratigan · J. Walter ThompsonBritish Arrows Gold 2014
  • Pennzoil "The Last Viper" (2017) commercial still© PennzoilPennzoil “The Last Viper” 2017J. Walter ThompsonClio Awards Silver 2017
  • Triple-S "38 Years Later" (2016) commercial still© Triple-STriple-S “38 Years Later” 2016J. Walter ThompsonClio Awards Silver 2016
  • First Direct "Platypus" (2014) commercial still© First DirectFirst Direct “Platypus” 2014Dir. Dom & Nic · J. Walter ThompsonCreative Circle Silver 2014

Award-winning telecom commercials

  • KPN "A Piece of Me" (2024) commercial still© KPNKPN “A Piece of Me” 2024Dir. Emma Branderhorst · Dentsu CreativeEffie Awards Grand Prix 2024
  • Skinny "Friendvertising" (2022) commercial still© SkinnySkinny “Friendvertising” 2022Dir. Dave Wood · Colenso BBDOEffie Awards Grand Prix 2022
  • Hutchison Three "Three 5G: The Future" (2020) commercial still© Hutchison ThreeHutchison Three “Three 5G: The Future” 2020Dir. Ian Pons Jewell · Wieden+KennedyCiclope Grand Prix 2020
  • BT "It's Good to Talk" (1996) commercial still© BTBT “It's Good to Talk” 1996AMV BBDOIPA Effectiveness Awards Grand Prix 1996
  • Spark New Zealand "It's Better With Spark" (2026) commercial still© Spark New ZealandSpark New Zealand “It's Better With Spark” 2026Dir. Damien Shatford · Colenso BBDOCiclope Gold 2026
  • Telstra "Zalunian Profanity" (2025) commercial still© TelstraTelstra “Zalunian Profanity” 2025Dir. Randy KrallmanEpica Gold 2025

Questions

Who directed the Elan “Taste the Translation” commercial?

Maarten Groen directed it, for the agency J. Walter Thompson.

Which agency made Elan “Taste the Translation”?

J. Walter Thompson created it for Elan (2015).

What awards did Elan “Taste the Translation” win?

3 awards, including Cannes Lions 2015 Film Bronze, One Show 2015 Bronze Pencil — Film and Epica 2015 Silver Telecommunication & Public Services.

Sources for the credits and awards

The WorkThe Workwinners.epica-awards.comoneclub.orgoneclub.org