Claim:   Washing instruction tags on Tom Bihn bags carry a hidden message in French.

Status:   True.

Origins:   We've seen examples of all sorts of ways of sneaking subversive messages into product packaging and advertisements — everything from blurting out words in foreign languages during the filming of commercials to encoding statements as acrostics, but this is a first for us: concealing a dissentious notice in a product's washing instructions tag.

In April 2004, someone called attention to the fact something was a little odd about the care instruction tags found on backpacks and laptop cases produced by manufacturer TOM BIHN of Port Angeles, Washington. Specifically, what was unusual was that the English and French statements on those tags didn't quite match — while both versions included the usual admonitions not to use bleach, not to machine dry, and not to iron the bags, the French-language version included an extra phrase: "NOUS SOMMES DESOLES QUE NOTRE PRESIDENT SOIT UN IDIOT. NOUS N'AVONS PAS VOTE POUR LUI." Roughly translated, this statement reads in English as: "We're sorry our president is an idiot. We didn't vote for him."

That this statement appears on Tom Bihn tags (as pictured to the left) is apparent; the pertinent questions are who put it there, and what does it mean?

Most consumers have viewed this message as an obviously deliberate (and, to many, inappropriate) slam at U.S. President George W. Bush, but the company's response to the controversy has been coy, maintaining that the "message began as an inside joke among seamstresses and staff at the Tom Bihn factory, and was apparently intended to poke fun at company's founder and president, Tom Bihn":

Tom Bihn, president of the eponymous company, said he doesn't know which of his 10 employees are responsible. "They know my French is so bad they could sneak it past me," he said. But he doesn't appear to be too determined to root out the guilty party and said he's "not opposed to the sentiments" about Mr. Bush.

"We haven't looked really hard to find out who did it because it's good for us. When we find them, we'll give them a raise," said Mr. Bihn, who insists the "president" mentioned on the tag is a reference to himself as the company's president and not to Mr. Bush.

The tag has "hit a resonating chord" all over the world, including France, where some customers believe the reference is to their president, Jacques Chirac. "People out there think a number of presidents are idiots," said Mr. Bihn. "It's a universal message."

More cynical observers believe that the message was planted by Bihn himself as a means of garnering publicity for his company, with just enough ambiguity built in to get his point across while maintaining a modicum of deniability. (The idea doesn't even appear to be original to Tom Bihn, as Joel Aufrecht was selling "American Traveler International Apology Shirts" with the very same message printed on them in six different languages back in 2003.)

Whatever the intent behind it, the controversial message has reportedly caused a surge in sales of Tom Bihn products, and the company now publicizes which of its bags carry the infamous "Treason Tags" and also markets a T-shirt with the washing instructions printed on the front. (Profits from the sales of the T-shirts go to the Seattle Vet Center, a program to assist homeless war veterans.)

Last updated:   2 February 2007

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  Sources:

    Laucius, Joanne.   "'Idiot' labels Advance Bag-Maker's Cause, Profits."

    The Ottawa Citizen.   29 April 2004   (p. D8).