Day 044 - 02 Nov 94 - Page 64
1 A. Yes.
2
3 Q. It shows the children taking some carry-outs in the evening
4 or something -- it was Halloween?
5 A. Yes, it was a bag used for trick or treating, to carry
6 goodies in.
7
8 MR. JUSTICE BELL: That was the Halloween one, was it?
9 A. Yes, I believe.
10
11 MR. MORRIS: Is there not some code thing about not showing
12 children eating or purchasing sugary foods late at night or
13 before they go to bed? There is a code in Britain which
14 says that you cannot show children eating any sugary foods
15 near bed-time?
16 A. I am not aware of any code like that in the United
17 States. I am not sure that the film demonstrated that, but
18 in any case there is no code in the United States that is
19 similar.
20
21 Q. That is another theme really, is it not? There are quite a
22 few ads where children are getting McDonald's food on their
23 own one way or another. You said that if it was shown in
24 the restaurant the adult would have to be with the
25 children?
26 A. Yes, we try to follow the Golden Arches code as close
27 to it as we possibly can.
28
29 Q. But the effect, would it not, might be the same if it shows
30 children on their own with McDonald's food, that they do
31 not need any parental guidance in terms of making food
32 choices themselves?
33 A. No, that is not the intent of that whatsoever.
34
35 Q. Quite a lot of the ads said -- there were two versions, one
36 for adults, one for children?
37 A. Yes.
38
39 Q. The Happy Meals one; one said "With every Happy Meal you
40 buy"?
41 A. Yes.
42
43 Q. And the adult one said "With every Happy Meal you buy your
44 kids"?
45 A. Similar, yes.
46
47 Q. Is that not part of the same thing as well about getting
48 the children to feel that they could go and buy those meals
49 themselves?
50 A. No, I do not think so.
51
52 Q. That is something to think about, may be.
53 A. My answer was that we are not trying to give the
54 impression that the child can go and buy these things by
55 himself. That is not what we are trying to do.
56
57 Q. I mean, you are aware, are you not, that a lot of parents
58 have problems with children making demands on them of where
59 they should buy their food or meals. Are you aware that is
60 a problem for parents?
