Day 299 - 13 Nov 96 - Page 38
1 products.
2
3 In this section about the use of ronald mcdonald on the
4 following page, it says that the relationship of Ronald
5 with children in a commercial -----
6
7 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I have just read that.
8
9 MS. STEEL: -- should be emotional and not physical. It goes
10 on at No 2 to say, "Ronald should be happy, jolly, lovable,
11 funny and should like to be with children." On page 59 we
12 have the grimace character, and it says on that page that
13 the grimace was initially conceived as a character
14 representing McDonald's shakes. It says that he has
15 transcended that role now and he is now seen as Ronald's
16 right hand man and closest friend, but he still maintains
17 his love of shakes. The French Fry Guys derive their names
18 from the objects of their affections.
19
20 MR JUSTICE BELL: I don't want to stop you going through this,
21 this is really just a series of job descriptions.
22
23 MS. STEEL: The point is that all these characters are being
24 deliberately designed to associate McDonald's food with fun
25 and having a good time.
26
27 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I doubt there is any dispute about that. It
28 is to make McDonald's attractive to children one way or
29 another. I mean, really, I would be surprised if
30 Mr. Rampton disputes any of this.
31
32 MR. RAMPTON: Of course I don't.
33
34 MR. JUSTICE BELL: That is the finest compliment I could pay
35 any professional advocate, Mr. Rampton. But, I think this
36 much must all be common ground. The question of where we
37 go then is whether there is anything wrong about it, and
38 you are putting your point on that. That is the real issue
39 in the case, put over simply. I wonder whether, just
40 pointing out that they are trying to get children to get
41 into their stores, dragging their parents screaming and
42 kicking after them -----
43
44 MS. STEEL: To buy junk food which is not good for them.
45
46 MR JUSTICE BELL: Yes. Do any of these job descriptions, as
47 I have described them, help on that, which is the real
48 issue?
49
50 MS. STEEL: It is the association of the food items with having
51 fun.
52
53 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes, well, that is what all children's
54 advertising, whether it is food, toys, anything else, does.
55
56 MS. STEEL: That is probably why some countries have banned all
57 children's advertising.
58
59 MR. JUSTICE BELL: That is what I call the nitty-gritty.
60 Whether it is not a load of hocus-pocus to say that you
