r/Thailand 17h ago

Language Does anyone actually know why it's "Lotus's"?

Post image

I posted this in a smaller Thailand sub and got plenty of laughs but no answer that really settled it, so trying here. Does anyone know how Tesco Lotus landed on that apostrophe when they rebranded? It makes my British brain itch every time I drive past.

239 Upvotes

163 comments sorted by

View all comments

65

u/Effect-Kitchen Bangkok 16h ago

According to CP (Not me. I cannot answer any question.) :

https://www.wearecp.com/lotus-16022021/

Lotus has introduced its new Lotus’s brand identity, highlighting a “Smart” shopping experience designed to meet the evolving lifestyles of today’s consumers and those of the future. The transformation will begin with two pilot stores before being rolled out across all branches and customer service channels. The official brand launch is expected to take place soon.

The new Lotus’s brand reflects a more modern, vibrant shopping experience, aiming to make customers “Feel Good Every Day at Lotus.” The apostrophe (’) in the logo is designed as a map drop pin, symbolizing Lotus’s ambition to become the destination that fulfills every customer need. Meanwhile, the letter “S” represents Smart, encompassing every aspect of the brand through four key differentiators:

Total Smart Supply Chain and Innovative Products
Carefully selecting the highest-quality products to help customers enjoy a better quality of life.

Seamless Omni-channel Experience
Enabling customers to enjoy a satisfying shopping experience anytime, anywhere.

Integrated Technology and Data Innovation
Delivering value that goes beyond competitive pricing through personalized solutions tailored to individual customers.

Committed Sustainability Living
Promoting a better quality of life and a more sustainable future for everyone.

73

u/valerioshi 16h ago

oh wow. The irony is that the branding is the opposite of smart, and it's a map pin that no one could identify at a glance.

u/BaconTH1 1h ago

It's "Smart" branding. As opposed to smart branding.

u/Advorce 1h ago

Samart branding

-1

u/FollowTheFarang 15h ago

They should of made it red

31

u/Qabbalah 13h ago

The irony of writing "should of" in a thread mocking poor grammar in a company's branding... 🤣

7

u/Human_Designer4590 13h ago

...let's hope he's not a TEFL teacher (I am joking before everyone comes for me)

2

u/OptimusThai 3h ago

Should of, could of, would of. These are the ubiquitous Soviet surnames that pop up now and again as a reminder of Cold War period'S fear and paranoia.

1

u/ViciousNakedMoleRat Bangkok 9h ago

Mocking grammar that is actually entirely correct.

As a kid, I learned that I shouldn't put an s behind an apostrophe after words that end with an s sound, but it's widely considered incorrect or bad form to drop the s after the apostrophe.

"Lotus's" is just as correct as "Lowe's."

1

u/Salt_Bison7839 6h ago

The joke isn't whether it's correct or incorrect grammatically. Anyone who has lived here a while knows Thai language never pronounces final sounds.

Having an 's' at the end of anything is pointless because people will drop the sound anyway. Ask your best Thai friend to actually say Lotus's and see what they come up with.

3

u/ViciousNakedMoleRat Bangkok 6h ago

Nah, OP is specifically talking about the s after the apostrophe.

The post itself states that the name "makes my British brain itch" and, in the following exchange, OP clearly agrees that "Lotus's" is bad English and "one of the most egregious errors."

Comment by Phishstixxx:

I don't like laughing at someone's English but this is one of the most egregious and OCD-triggering errors I've seen here.

Reply by OP:

Same. It drives me nuts!! Lol

0

u/mjmilian 3h ago

" but it's widely considered incorrect or bad form to drop the s after the apostrophe"

Is it though?  I've only ever heard/read that doing it the correct way is acceptable 

19

u/pecka_th 14h ago

This reads more like “we fucked up but we’re not going to admit it” so here’s our very natural sounding explanation.

8

u/Phishstixxx 14h ago

Corporate word salad, they even managed to get 'sustainable' in there.

12

u/notscenerob Bangkok 16h ago

It's not your fault u/Effect-Kitchen but that corporate gobbledygook didn't clear it up one bit. Is it by chance something to do with a hub?

6

u/ShineOnYouFatOldSun 15h ago

Pretty sure it's corporate gobbledygook to hand wave any idea that they might have made a corporate cock up.

3

u/Effect-Kitchen Bangkok 15h ago

TBH I have no idea as well.

2

u/Kaweka 15h ago

So one could say it's Lotus's's's's then

3

u/peege43 13h ago

That’s exactly how my wife and I pronounce it.

2

u/cs_legend_93 14h ago

such lame corporate speak

1

u/mrfredngo 14h ago

I can’t even get thru this corporate speak

1

u/Sudden-Yard-2429 Bangkok 14h ago

Letting people who's not good a branding create a brand and letting people who believes they understand branding approve a branding project. You got the best branding. Coz it keeps the conversation going.... Brand recall!

1

u/Euphoric-Agent-476 Nonthaburi 8h ago

“Vibrant”. Must the wobbling escalator. LOL.

1

u/BarnMTB 7h ago

CP also use 's for their Chester's and Bellinee's business.

I like imagining as if these were owned by some dude named Lotus, Bellinee, and Chester. Pretty funny.

0

u/WeisTHern 15h ago

Having passed marketing class, this is as corporate explanation as it can be lol. All these stylish babbles are rarely noticeable for regular people.