Can you explain this?

[mbarker]

A few years ago, we visited the Guinness factory in Dublin. Did the tour, and visited the gift shop. At the time, my wife recommended a Guinness hat for me, which we bought. And I have worn it fairly often since (it keeps my bald head warm!).

However, the other day I noticed that the "Official Guinness Merchandise" patch on the inside (where my head goes) was loose. The corner was apparently coming up. Being curious, I poked at it, and suddenly realized there was another label underneath. Since the top label -- a square of black cloth, with embroidered signature in red, logo and whatnot in white, etc. -- was apparently starting to pull loose, I tried pressing it down, which unfortunately seemed to loosen it even more. So I peeled it up. It had been glued in place, with a couple of strips of some kind of rubberized glue that had now gotten brittle with age and cracked away.

Underneath was... an Official Guinness Merchandise patch. Except this one is sewn into the lining. The signature isn't red, it's more of an off-white, and it lacks the circle around the whole thing, but it certainly appears to be an official Guinness goods patch. But why glue another patch over it?

If it had been an empty label, or even the label of some other manufacturer, I could certainly understand them slapping an "Official Guinness Merchandise" patch on top. But gluing their own label over their own label?

Oh, well. Now I have a sewn-in label. And the hat still keeps my head warm. But I do wonder why they glued a second label in? Double your labels, double your fun?

Comments

[dialyn.livejournal.com]

The only explanation I can think of is that they changed their logo (however slightly) so decided to update their line of merchandise by inserting the new version into old products, and it was just more cost effective not to tear out the old logs but just glue on top it it. People have gone a little nuts on the subject of branding so it was probably on the advice of someone marketing labels that gave them the idea.

I've no clue if that's the real explanation, but maybe you have a collector's item on your head.

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

I had a guy who has worked in retail for over 30 years tell me that of course they put the latest label inside. He said people really do look for such things, although I have to admit I never would have noticed.

I have the feeling there's a disconnect. I, as consumer of a giftshop item, am mostly interested in does it keep my head warm and does my wife like the looks. Labels? Inside? I never even looked at it, to be honest. But I guess it's important for some folks.

Thanks!

[dialyn.livejournal.com]

To tell you the truth, I don't care much the labels either, and don't think about them very much except in one case. I often wear a kind of shirt which, for some reason, the manufacturer has chosen to sew (very securely) the label on the outside back of the garment. I have on many occasions had people stop to tell me that I've got my shirt on inside out. I guess it is worth my inconvenience for the manufacturer to make a billboard out of me, though I can't imagine they've sold any additional garments by doing so.