Day 012 - 18 Jul 94 - Page 60
1
Q. It was cancelled, was it?
2 A. That is correct.
3 Q. "We have been advised that you will not meet with us until
we respond in writing to your 5th May letter and provide a
4 publication schedule for these advertisements. To get the
discussions back on track, McDonald's is enclosing with
5 this letter a current publication schedule or the eight
advertisements in this series, covering the advertisements
6 that are now on newsstands and those scheduled for future
publication. On the attached sheet we have indicated he
7 publication in which an advertisement in this series
currently appears or is scheduled to appear, the cover
8 date, the date on which the issue went on sale or is to go
on sale and the materials deadline. The schedule makes
9 clear that: None of these eight advertisements is
currently scheduled to appear in a magazine issue that
10 goes on sale after May 26th. None was placed with a
magazine after April 13th, and none of the three
11 advertisements about which you expressed a specific
concern is in the pipeline."
12
Pausing there, Mr. Horwitz, was this chronology that we
13 see here Mr. Rosberg writing about, in any sense a
consequence of the letters of complaint that you had from
14 the Attorneys General, that is to say, for example, the
last scheduled appearance of the eight advertisements was
15 May 26th, yes?
A. Yes.
16
Q. Was that in any sense a consequence of the pressure as
17 they would, no doubt, describe it which the Attorneys
General tried to put on McDonald's?
18 A. Let me take a second and read it.
19 Q. Just read it again.
A. My recollection is this was just a statement of what
20 was.
21 Q. Yes. It goes on: "Assuming that a meeting can be
arranged without unreasonable delay, McDonald's will not
22 make any new commitment". Did any meeting ever take
place?
23 A. I do not believe so.
24 Q. No. "McDonald's cannot agree, as I am sure you will
understand, to terminate this entire advertisement
25 campaign nor will it make commitment that it impair its
ability to continue providing truthful and accurate
26 information about its products to consumers. But these
reservations should not stand in the way of a productive
27 meeting. McDonald's wants an opportunity to review the
advertisements with you and demonstrate that they are not
28 false or misleading, viewed as a whole or in any material
part. Indeed, we hope to persuade you that the
29 advertisements represent a highly responsible effort on
McDonald's part to make consumers more aware of the
30 availability of complete nutrition and ingredient
information in McDonald's restaurants, to stress the
