Day 042 - 31 Oct 94 - Page 14


     
     1        it, because he is not aware of it.
     2
     3   MS. STEEL:   If a complaint gets made against McDonald's in any
     4        country, how seriously does it get taken?
     5        A.  Well, very seriously.
     6
     7   Q.   Is it something that the company would be anxious not to
     8        repeat?
     9        A.  We would try not to.  I mean, it is obviously not in
    10        our interests to do anything that is detrimental to our
    11        brand.
    12
    13   Q.   I think you said before that you do not get many
    14        complaints?
    15        A.  Given the numbers of people -- I do not know.  Our
    16        complaints department, I am sure, can tell you.  But given
    17        the numbers of people we serve, that is the case.
    18
    19   Q.   Official complaints?
    20        A.  Yes.
    21
    22   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  In relation to advertising?
    23
    24   MS. STEEL:  Advertising.
    25        A.  That is correct, yes.
    26
    27   Q.   Is there no communication between the different sections of
    28        the corporation, if you like, in each country?
    29        A.  There is, yes, but not on a day-to-day basis and not in
    30        terms of the detail that some of this goes into.
    31
    32   Q.   They would not, kind of, make general points about:  "Be
    33        careful not to use this form of advertising, because it has
    34        been ruled deceptive, or thought to be deceptive"?
    35        A.  That is true, anyway.  We do not set about to produce
    36        any kind of misleading advertisement.  It would not need to
    37        be a question of talking to other countries about it.  We
    38        thoroughly went into this particular ad before it actually
    39        went to press, and we believed all the facts in it to be
    40        true.  We do everything we can to ensure that.  Now, once
    41        in a while, it may be that we err, in which case we then
    42        take the action that is necessary; and, in this case, we
    43        withdrew the ad.
    44
    45   Q.   Ads can be misleading or deceptive, even if they do not
    46        actually contain any untrue sentences, can they not?
    47        A.  You can be -- I suppose they could be, yes, but that
    48        does not mean they are not acceptable as advertising.
    49        Misleading advertising sets out to mislead.
    50 
    51   Q.   You do not think this one was? 
    52        A.  We certainly did not set out to mislead but, as the ASA 
    53        upheld this complaint, then we were quite happy to say that
    54        on this occasion we were wrong, and that is why we withdrew
    55        the ad.
    56
    57   Q.   This was misleading by omission?
    58        A.  By emission?
    59
    60   Q.   By omission:  you omitted to mention all the other

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