French Scotch VHS Video Cassette Commercial

By • June 7, 2020

This is a vintage 80s French TV commercial for Scotch VHS video cassettes – outdated technology! The commercial suggests that the tapes are guaranteed for life and that the colors never fade. Two fun words used: enregistrement (recording) and s’altérer (to deteriorate)

Text and tranlsation

  • (Written on ad) Scotch présente la première videocassette garantie à vie.
    Scotch presents the first video cassettes guaranteed for life.
  • Vidéocassette Scotch, des couleurs de qualité incroyables.
    Scotch video cassettes, colors of incredible quality.
  • Enregistrement après enregistrement, les couleurs ne s’altèrent jamais.
    Recording after recording, the colors never deteriorate.
  • Vidéocassette Scotch, elles sont garanties à vie.
    Scotch video cassettes, they’re guaranteed for life.

Vocabulary and grammar of interest

  • garantie(noun f) translates to guarantee or warranty.
  • Enregistrement (noun m) means recording. The infinitive enregistrer means to record.
  • s’altèrer – Pronominal (also called reflexive) verb. This means to deteriorate, worsen or decline. altérer + direct object means to damage or spoil.
  • elles sont garanties – Use il/elle/ils/elles to refer back to a tangible noun for it’s or they’re. E.g., the pizza is delicous -> Elle est delicieuse. It’s delicous.

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David Issokson is a lifelong language enthusiast. His head is swimming with words and sounds as he speaks over six languages. Of all the languages he speaks, he's the most passionate about French! David has helped hundreds of students to improve their French in his private online lessons. When procrastinating working on his site, FrenchLearner.com, David enjoys his time skiing and hiking in Teton Valley, Idaho.