Product label gaffes
Here are some calamitous examples of what can happen if product labels are not correctly proof-read, a warning to anyone who ever signs off marketing material!
- On Tesco’s Tirimisu dessert
Do not turn upside down (printed on the bottom of the box) - On Marks & Spencer pudding
Product will be hot after heating - On packaging for a Rowenta iron
Do not iron clothes on body - On Boots children’s cough medicine
Do not drive car or operate machinery - On Nytol (a sleeping aid)
Warning: may cause drowsiness - On a Korean kitchen knife
Warning: keep out of children - On a string of Chinese made Christmas lights
For indoor or outdoor use only - On Sainsbury’s peanuts
Warning: contains nuts - On a Swedish chainsaw
Do not attempt to stop chain with your hands
Interestingly, it’s the context within which the final product label is read that makes some of these basic errors particularly amusing, something that is easy to overlook when sitting at your desk in the office. When proofreading marketing material, the lesson is to always put yourself in the position of the recipient of your message.