1993, Zurich-Hardbrücke. Brothers Daniel and Markus Freitag look out their kitchen window at the traffic below and do what graphic designers do best: find beauty in the everyday.
The passionate cyclists had long been on the hunt for a robust and waterproof material from which to make bike bags that could withstand everyday use. Looking out their window at the trucks below, an idea suddenly came to them. The most durable bags in the world were born. And each one is totally unique.
From Zurich West to world domination
FREITAG’s humble beginnings were the perfect fit for what was then Zurich’s industrial district. Today, the FREITAG tower still reigns over Geroldstrasse. Although the world-renowned bags, accessories and clothes can be found in 24 FREITAG stores worldwide, FREITAG still relies on local craftsmanship – especially for its translations.
We’ve been diligently typing away for FREITAG in Italian, French and English since 2015, just a stone’s throw away from the FREITAG tower. Very diligently, in fact: we’ve already handled over 1,400 orders.
What the F-?
The key F-ocus is on conveying the unique “F-tone of voice” in every language and culture. And it’s a challenge. A company that puts up a job ad for an “Executive Vice Pleasident for Global Happiness” for its 25th birthday isn’t exactly your run-of-the-mill bag manufacturer.
It’s no coincidence that FREITAG’s language is also totally unique – it’s all down to meticulous planning. For years, FREITAG has relied on an in-house copywriter who ensures that every text gets a healthy dose of simple, playful charm and puns. The best example is FREITAG’s characteristic hyphenated “F”: it’s all about F-riends, F-actories and F-ans.
As FREITAG pays close attention to its corporate language, factors such as wordplay and tone also play a vital part in translations. That’s why FREITAG puts its trust in Supertext’s transcreations for its multilingual marketing campaigns. Just like FREITAG bags, every translation is unique!
FREITAG invited our language managers to a spontaneous kickoff meeting in Zurich-Oerlikon so that the new translation team could experience the brand IRL. At the NŒRD F-ACTORY, where 640 tons of truck tarp are dismantled, washed and cut to size every year, our language managers could get a whiff of Eau de FREITAG. Since then, regular meetings have ensured that the quality reflects FREITAG’s high standard of “unique content for unique people”.
Images via FREITAG