Supermarket’s ‘Isle of White’ typo leads to 10,000 bags being scrapped
The Balearic island of Ibiza is often referred to as the ‘White Isle’. And, thanks to its Mediterranean climate and status as a global nightlife hub, it’s not regularly mistaken for the UK’s very own Isle of Wight.
So it may have come as a surprise to residents of the latter when one of the UK’s biggest supermarket chains printed a range of 10,000 long-life shopping bags referring to the ‘Isle of White’.
Were plans underway to rebrand the island as an international dance haven?
Were plans underway to rebrand the island as an international dance haven? Or was there a more prosaic reason for the name?
Perhaps unsurprisingly, a spelling mistake was to blame.
According to The Guardian, supermarket chain Asda produced the bags – featuring a design by two local children – to celebrate the official launch of its new store on the island.
The shopping bags were originally intended to be reusable ‘bags for life’. But, thanks to the spelling error, that aim has been slightly undermined. Asda has reportedly had to throw them away instead.
The case highlights the ever-present risk – and cost to brands – of not proofreading materials properly.
But, in Asda’s defence, it’s their first store on the island, so they’re unlikely to make the same mistake again...
