Transcreation is a term coined from the words "translation" and "creation", and a concept used in the field of translation studies to describe the process of adapting a message from one language to another, while maintaining its intent, style, tone, and context. A successfully transcreated message evokes the same emotions and carries the same implications in the target language as it does in the source language. It is related to the concept of localization, which similarly involves comprehensively adapting a translated text for the target audience.[1] Transcreation highlights the translator's creative role.[2] Unlike many other forms of translation, transcreation also often involves adapting not only words, but video and images to the target audience.[3] Transcreation theory was first developed in the field of literary translation, and began to be adapted for use global marketing and advertising in the early 21st century.[1] The transcreation approach is also heavily used today in the translation of video games[4] and mobile apps.[5]
The concept of transcreation emphasizes the translator's independent creative role.[2] In the context of marketing, the professional translators engaging in transcreation are often referred to as "copywriters" or "copyeditors", or alternatively as "transcreators".[6]
Transcreation is a term from the Leibnizian philosophy that dates back to 1676. Transcreation concept stands for the transitive law that advocates: if change is motion, and motion is transcreation, then, change is transcreation. Subsequently, "all change is a kind of transcreation" (Leibniz, 42: 1676/Translated Draft), in philosophy field. The same notions apply to translation field. Transcreation is a holistic approach. It works on creating a content (change) from the source and the target to the target (motion) through the application of partial or total change processes, also called the kinds of change (transcreation processes). Transcreation is a translation technique. It is the ultimate representation of any and all kinds of change when translating a content from the source to the target. Changes making when translating have reasons, kinds, degrees, levels and limits.[7]