Obviously suspect.

I'm up early this morning. Though I'm sleepless, I feel compelled to make coffee. As I pour my first cup, I read the back of the artificial sweetener packet — GLUTEN FREE.

Seriously?

Somehow, someone thought this was a feature. For me, it's a bug. (The moment I read this I heard my sister's voice cracking a joke in my head, "Yeah, but is it poison free?")

In an apparent effort to make me feel better about the product, the labelers made me suspect of the ingredients (blogs are full of artificial sweetener criticism). I suspect this was inadvertent. But how many times are we over-promoting obvious attributes?

You've seen this before. It's a sign at a CPA's office that reads, "Honest Accountant".  It's the label on a giant box of candy that reads, "A Fat Free Food!" It's the furniture store commercial that says, "The more you spend, the more you save!"

Sure, it may be true. But to state the obvious might suggest otherwise.