Second Language’s on US products are meant to evoke a specific image
For a long time, I assumed the second language on most products was chosen to reflect the linguistic demographics of the region they’re sold in, eg a shampoo predominantly sold in the American southwest would have Spanish as its second language.
However, over the years I started to wonder why so many skin/cosmetic products had prominent French as their secondary language. Even product predominately sold in the US. French is not that common here.
The final straw was that I bought a quart of blueberries from Mexico whose package was in English and FRENCH. There is no business for a Mexican product to present in English and French and not even involve Spanish.
So, my conspiracy theory is that brands choose a secondary language purely as a marketing ploy. Items that are sold as “fancy” or “cosmopolitan” have prominent French; electronics and cooking items made of steel get prominent Japanese or German to piggy back on those countries’ reputations.
Conversely, I think products made for sale in the US intentionally avoid useful languages because of a perceived, sizable bias against those countries: Chinese, Arabic, or Spanish being examples.
I’m open to having my mind changed, but that’s my theory!
UPDATE: ————-
a few things:
I can happily buy the “companies make 1 label to comply with Canadian law when selling to a North American market” reasoning.
I am aware the rest of the world speaks many different languages and not all products made across the world are made exclusively for US consumption; this is why I specified “made for sale in the US.”
I am aware of Quebec. I have spent weeks visiting various parts of francophone Canada.
thank you all for entertaining—at least in part—this low stakes, and silly conspiracy.