People are noticing a hidden detail in Chemist Warehouse's tagline.
(Image credit: Chemist Warehouse)
Advertising sometimes makes some bold claims, if not to say that it can be altogether misleading. Some brands attempt to excuse themselves with rather pitiful disclaimers, and shoppers in Australia are spotting what may be one of the most flagrant cases.
People have long known Chemist Warehouse as 'Australia's cheapest chemist'. That's what the tagline says on its website and storefronts. Or does it? On social media, people are noticing that if you dig out your binoculars (or one of the best camera phones with a good zoom), there's a tiny detail that changes everything.
On its Twitter account, Chemist Warehouse uses the tagline 'Australia's cheapest chemist'. But people are noticing that on its website and on at least some of its physical stores, two crucial words appear in very small type before that. The words read 'Is this?' turning the phrase from an affirmation into a question.
On this store, the additional words appear to have been tacked on later (Image credit: Chemist Warehouse, shared on Reddit)
As well as being grammatically questionable with a question mark slapped in the middle of the phrase, it seems very sneaky of the brand to make the disclaimer so small. On the website, the 'is this?' is illegible (see above), and in some physical stores, the phrase appears to have been appended in the brand's blue and yellow colours as an afterthought. They're not exactly the best billboard advertising.
So is Chemist Warehouse Australia's cheapest chemist? It does promise a price match guarantee, but that's not quite the same thing. According to 7news, people on social media are expressing surprise at having only recently noticed the disclaimer in the tagline. See our guide to the best print ads for less sneaky advertising inspiration.
Get the Creative Bloq Newsletter
Daily design news, reviews, how-tos and more, as picked by the editors.
Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Joe is a regular freelance journalist and editor at Creative Bloq. He writes news, features and buying guides and keeps track of the best equipment and software for creatives, from video editing programs to monitors and accessories. A veteran news writer and photographer, he now works as a project manager at the London and Buenos Aires-based design, production and branding agency Hermana Creatives. There he manages a team of designers, photographers and video editors who specialise in producing visual content and design assets for the hospitality sector. He also dances Argentine tango.
