Business Notes ADVERTISING

To English-speaking TV viewers, the phrase might have meant anything: "Mayieu kuna. Ijooki inamuk sapukin." So when a recent TV commercial for Nike sneakers featured a traditionally dressed Samburu tribesman in Kenya uttering those words in Maa, the local tongue, an English subtitle was thoughtfully provided: "Just do it," which is the slogan from Nike's current campaign.

But the Kenyan's comments were not quite as advertised. According to an anthropologist at the University of Cincinnati, who saw the spot when it aired on NBC, the new pitchman was actually saying, "I don't want these. Give me big shoes." Nike contends that an earlier script called for the tribesman's ironic comment, but the company decided in the end to stick with its slogan in the subtitle. Nike plans to keep running the spot during TV specials, so viewers will still have an opportunity to brush up on their Maa.