Day 042 - 31 Oct 94 - Page 26


     
     1        ones on Friday, I think there were one or two at the most,
     2        of the children's ones, which did not feature Ronald in
     3        some form or another.
     4
     5   MS. STEEL:  The advertisement mentions "lots of fun for
     6        everyone" and "a visit to McDonald's makes your day".  Is
     7        that part of this general idea of promoting McDonald's as a
     8        fun place?
     9        A.  Yes, it is.  As I said before, it is very much Ronald
    10        as the experience, a fun experience at McDonald's.
    11
    12   Q.   Do you say that that is not trying to promote or sell
    13        McDonald's products?
    14        A.  It is not a direct selling message, no, in the way that
    15        selling normally implies.  This is very much an
    16        entertaining medium.
    17
    18   Q.   Entertaining?
    19        A.  Yes.  But, obviously the Ronald advertising is designed
    20        to appeal to children and, therefore, appeal to them to go
    21        to McDonald's.  That is the reason we do the advertising.
    22
    23   Q.   To get them to buy food?
    24        A.  Not to get them to buy food.  Ronald does not appeal to
    25        this age group.  Sorry.  Ronald does appeal to this age,
    26        but Ronald does not -- in that age group of person, the
    27        person does not buy the food; it is the family or the
    28        parent that buys the food, because the child is too young
    29        to visit McDonald's by themselves.
    30
    31   Q.   Right.  So it is to get their parents to buy them food?
    32        A.  Yes.
    33
    34   Q.   It is not just for the experience?
    35        A.  The experience is part of it, but the food is also part
    36        of that experience; they love the food.
    37
    38   Q.   If your stores were filled with children and their parents
    39        who had come along for the experience but were not buying
    40        any food, would you be happy about that?
    41        A.  No.
    42
    43   Q.   Right.
    44
    45   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  What is the point of that question?
    46
    47   MS. STEEL:  It is obvious that the whole point of the experience
    48        is to get to them to buy the food.
    49
    50   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes.  As far as I am concerned, you are 
    51        pushing at a door which is absolutely wide open.  I cannot 
    52        see any point in McDonald's putting an ad on the television 
    53        at all unless, either directly or indirectly, it was to
    54        increase their sales.
    55
    56   MS. STEEL:  It seems like that to me, as well, but it does not
    57        always seem like to the witness.
    58
    59   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I do not think there is any difference
    60        between you and Mr. Hawkes.

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