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February 3, 2004
Francofone Product Labeling

Everyone knows that Spanish is the second most popular language in the United States and is growning in importance year after year. As a result, signage, product labeling, and paperwork is often written in both English and Spanish, especially in the Southwest. This trend has been going on for years.

But, recently I keep coming across products that are labled in English and French! Over and over again I'm noticing French on my shampoo, razors, dental floss, cookie packages, everything. I'm not living in Canada either, I'm in Arizona for goodness' sake, and French is outshowing Spanish on products 2 to 1.

I'm totally confused. I don't know if Arizona shares the same supply chain as Quebec, or if mad francofiles are making a last ditch effort to reclaim the lingua franca.
Posted at 3:54 PM | Comments (6)
Category: General Thoughts



 Comments on this article:

I think Canada mandates that all products sold there be labeled in English and French. That's for all of Canada, not just Quebec, so any company using the same label for the US and Canada needs that French label up in there...

 Posted by: Abe on February 3, 2004 11:28 PM

That's what I was thinking, but I've never seen much French labeling in the US, which is why it's bizzare to see it in Arizona. Maine - that would make sense, but AZ? Tis wacky!

 Posted by: Nick on February 3, 2004 11:45 PM

The 11th province?

 Posted by: Mark on February 4, 2004 2:24 AM

NAFTA, mais oui...

 Posted by: Frank on February 6, 2004 2:57 AM

Its just globalization friend, Make one package sell it everywhere. Cheaper then making three packages. And having English, Spanish, and French not only gives you all of north america, it takes care of a very large chunk of europe.

 Posted by: Jeff on February 7, 2004 6:31 PM

Yeah, but it's English/French, with NO Spanish.. that's the weird thing.

 Posted by: Nick on February 7, 2004 11:44 PM