Japanese Woodpecker
  ------------------------------
 
  Matsushita Electric is promoting a new Japanese
PC targeted at the Internet.  Panasonic has 
developed a complete Japanese Web browser, and to 
make the system "user-friendly", licensed the 
cartoon character "Woody Woodpecker" as the 
"Internet guide."  Panasonic eventually planned 
on a world version of the product.
 
  A huge marketing campaign was to have introduced
the product in Japan last week.  The day before 
the ads were to be released, Panasonic suddenly 
pulled back and delayed the product launch
indefinitely.
 
  The reason:  the ads featured the slogan "Touch
Woody - The Internet Pecker."  An American staff 
member at the internal product launch explained 
to the stunned and embarrassed Japanese what 
"touch woody" and "pecker" meant in American 
slang.
 
  - From EE Times, October 8, 1996