TL:

"A dream is never used"

"Discover Porsche used cars"

Whenever I drive past this official Porsche Centre, I ask myself how to correctly interpret the following slogan (see picture).

In my opinion, the whole advert for the used cars makes no sense at all as it says "Dreams are NEVER used"

I really need clarification, because I want to understand how the marketing department imagined this.

by Paulrbo

29 comments

  1. A dream is never used (up), it stays a dream even if used. Buy a used Porsche car.

  2. If it’s your dream to drive a Porsche, do you care if it’s used?

    I don’t understand the issue with the slogan.

  3. TBH as a native speaker, I struggle to make head or tail of it. I _think_ it’s supposed to mean “A dream (like a Porsche) can’t ever be considered a used car.”, but it’s far from clear.

  4. I would say they mean: a dream is never pre owned

    Like if your car was second hand it doesn’t matter because the dream was not pre owned

  5. To me it sounds like if a used Porsche is not a dream car, but still, come buy one.

  6. You can’t directly translate the slogan into English, but I’d go with:

    If you have always dreamed of owning a Porsche then once you can eventually can afford a Porsche, you’ve made your dream one true, no matter that it’s a second hand car.

    Don’t feel down about it not being a brand new Porsche, a second hand Porsche is still a Porsche after all.

  7. They don’t mean it that way but I guess it can also be seen as a slogan against used cars if one feels like being a smart ass about it:

    there is no such thing as a used dream, therefor if your dream is to drive a Porsche then don’t buy a used one as it would no longer qualify as fulfilling your dream, since used dreams do not qualify as dreams

  8. Sorry 4my English..there is the German word “Gebrauchter” ..At the moment I read this word “gebraucht”..I knew the following text would be something about cars …they play with this “German” trigger.

    But it’s not really good ..borring try for a joke or smth like that.

  9. -“A dream is never needed.

    Check out the used Porsche cars with confidence and sail to us in the Porsche centre … “-

    So basically you don’t need to dream of owning a Porsche.. you can get a 2nd hand one with confidence
    That’s how I’d translate if I saw this advert.
    (14 years in Germany)

  10. Porsche marketing strongly plays into the trope that many young kids dream of owning a Porsche at one point in their live.

    In Germany, however, a used or second hand (“gebraucht” = used, “Gebrauchtwagen” = preowned car) car is often seen as less valuable and desireable.

    What is implied with the slogan is that even a used / second hand Porsche is so good and has so much soul, that it is not tainted and still sufficiant to fullfill the dream.

    So the dream of owning the car is not tainted by its status.

  11. A dream is never needed (gebraucht).
    Buy a used (gebrauchten) Porsche.
    So you neednt dream cuz u can buy a used Porsche but it really reads as if they crap on used cars.

  12. The literal translation: A dream is not second hand (used).

    The adaptation: if you dream of owning a Porsche, it’s still ok to buy used (second hand), we won’t judge you.

  13. A Porsche is a dream car for some.

    A used car has negative connotation for some.

    But a dream of a Porsche is a dream of a Porsche.

    Doesn’t matter if the car is used or not.

    Easy & good ad.

  14. I’d say something like: No dream ever comes second-hand. Discover Porsche’s pre-owned vehicles etc.

  15. All good answers. I just want to point out that the phrasing is kinda ambiguous which leads to you thinking about it. And us thinking about it. Mission accomplished to have the thought of used Porsches stuck in our heads. It’s great advertising.

  16. My go …

    A dream never gets old.

    Find your previously owned guaranteed Porsche at our Porsche centre.

  17. They mean you should buy a Porsche.

    I hope i was able to help 🙂

  18. That it doesn’t matter whether the cars is used or not, a dream-car stays a dream-car

  19. Gebraucht here means used in the sense of used up or consumed. It’s a pun on a used car. The car is used (previously owned) but the dream [of owning a Porsche] is still good.

  20. the first gebraucht is probably in the sense of exhausted or used up. a dream is never finished/used up. buy a used porsche today.

  21. I read it as in, a dream is never used but the reality can be. Come and get a 2nd hand Porsche.

  22. “A dream is never used” They sell new (unused cars). The slogan is supposed to deter people from buying a cheaper used car and go for the full priced new one instead.

  23. It is not supposed to be understood. They advertising to people who like Porsche. You can write what ever you want it doesn’t make a difference. This people compensate there IQ by horsepower.

  24. Maybe a better slogan would have been “Ein Traum ist nie verbraucht. Entdecken Sie Porsche Gebrauchtwagen” (A dream is never used up. Explore Porsche’s used cars.)

  25. I would interpret it as: “even tho the car is used, the dream is not” Meaning that even tho the car may be used it won’t reduce the desire to own one or make the car less enjoyable. It’s a weird slogan tho.

  26. It makes sense as “a dream is never used/secondhand”. Some slight mental gymnastics needed though

  27. No need to dream… Make it a reality with a used Porsche.

  28. >”Dreams are NEVER used”

    This tracks pretty well in English. Basically, if “used” has a negative connotation, but your dream is to own a Porsche, then you only consider that you’ve gotten the thing, and not that it’s “used”.

    In the US they’d probably describe the car as “pre-owned” in the next line, as a euphemism to replace the word “used”, but that euphemism might not translate.

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