What next? Use less bags and it will cost you fewer money! Pah.

Now I’m no grammar snob and my punctuation often leaves a lot to be desired, but, having seen this sign in Asda I felt compelled to take a snap. After I explained to the Store Manager why I was taking the photo, (who looked at me as though I’d just questioned whether their value range of chicken nuggets were free range) she told me I couldn’t take pictures without asking permission first – especially of grammatical errors on signs intended to save the planet.

With a background in design I’ve always much preferred pretty pictures, but I still appreciate that there’s a right and a wrong way to write advertising copy. Usually the right way (should that be correct way?) is by using a copywriter who that knows what they’re doing. I don’t feel quite as strongly as Vince Hamilton does, but it does grate on me the more I look at it. It’s not just Asda that use “please use the new self checkouts that don’t work properly and deprive somebody of a job if you have 15 items or less” – they’re all at it. Apparently, Tesco is rewording to “up to 10 items” in order to correct their mistake whilst avoiding the use of ‘fewer’.

But, does it even matter that major retailers can let something so obviously incorrect be used on their POS (P.O.S. if we’re being pedantic)? Maybe it’s intentional? Has the Asda marketing department, or their Ad agency, made a conscious decision to use something that’s easier on the ear?

This post has got nothing to do with the fact that I got a copy of “Eats, shoots and leaves” for Christmas.