We were commissioned to translate from English into French the official rules of an international competition organized by a global ride-hailing multinational. This contest formed part of a wider marketing and promotional campaign and notably offered participants the chance to win a trip to Australia.
A Regulation in Line with Industry Standards
The reference document defined all the participation requirements, in compliance with the usual rules governing this type of promotional operation:
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Eligibility criteria (age, country of residence, etc.),
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Participation conditions: including the need to complete an entry form and answer a question included in the form,
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Process for selecting the winner and awarding the prize,
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Organizers’ right of refusal (e.g. incompatible criminal record or failure to follow participation rules),
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Provisions relating to confidentiality, data protection, and winners’ disclosure obligations.
The translation also aimed to adapt the drafting to French legal standards — including the clauses on participants’ privacy — while preserving the clarity and promotional tone of the document.
📌 Key Contextual Translations
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entry → bulletin de participation
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competition → concours
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prize → prix
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winner → gagnant
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promoters → organisateurs
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you and your proposed companion → vous-même et la personne qui vous accompagnera
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health requirements → conditions de santé
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right to exclude any entrant on the grounds of their criminal record → le droit d’exclure tout participant sur la base de son casier judiciaire
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incomprehensible and incomplete entries will be deemed invalid → les bulletins incompréhensibles ou incomplets seront considérés comme non valables
❓ FAQ: translating the rules of a promotional competition
How were the exclusion clauses translated?
With care: “right to exclude any entrant on the grounds of their criminal record” reads le droit d’exclure tout participant sur la base de son casier judiciaire. The promoters (organisateurs) also retained a right of refusal where participation rules were not followed.
What is the particular challenge with this document?
Balancing two registers: adapting the wording to French legal standards while keeping the readability and promotional tone of the original. The translation had to stay accessible to a general-public audience, not weigh it down.
How is a clause on invalid entries handled?
“Incomprehensible and incomplete entries will be deemed invalid” becomes les bulletins incompréhensibles ou incomplets seront considérés comme non valables. Such clauses frame the validity of entries and the later selection of the winner.
