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.