Day 043 - 01 Nov 94 - Page 64


     
     1
     2   Q.   Yes, but in what way was it a controversial issue?
     3        A.  Because it had been a very frustrating thing for
     4        McDonald's to hear people talk and criticise within this
     5        nature.  We wanted to make sure that our response was as
     6        perfect as it possibly could be within an advertising
     7        context, obviously.
     8
     9   Q.   It was not that you thought you would be on dangerous
    10        ground if there was any suggestion that McDonald's food was
    11        healthy in the sense of positively improving your prospects
    12        of good health?
    13        A.  I think, at least from my perspective, we would be on
    14        dangerous ground if we said something that was not right or
    15        correct, yes.  And because this was a controversial issue,
    16        I think that is why we spent the time and energy about it.
    17
    18   MR. RAMPTON:  I may, if I will, follow that up?  One notices
    19        from the beginning of the document which we have read that
    20        this campaign appears to have been in some sense a response
    21        to criticism that McDonald's food was junk food -- whatever
    22        that may mean -- it probably means unhealthy food, does it,
    23        junk food?
    24        A.  Well, certainly, the word is used to say that it is
    25        unhealthy or to give that kind of connotation.
    26
    27   Q.   Was that at that time an issue in the United States?
    28        A.  I think it is a growing issue, has been a growing
    29        issue, in the United States for a considerable amount of
    30        time.  It sort of comes and goes, but it certainly was a
    31        growing issue at that time.
    32
    33   Q.   There was a complaint -- I do not need you to look at it,
    34        I can remind you; there is no dispute about it -- there
    35        were really four complaints; one was that the campaign was
    36        apt to suggest that McDonald's food was nutritious, do you
    37        remember that, overall?  The second was -- the last three
    38        complaints were directed at specific parts of the
    39        advertisement; one was the cholesterol advertisement, one
    40        was the salt advertisement and one was the milk shake
    41        advertisement.  Mr. Horwitz has dealt with those and I am
    42        not going to ask you to look at those again, but I would
    43        like to ask you about the first one.  Do you recollect at
    44        the time what your response was to the suggestion that it
    45        was misleading to imply that McDonald's food was
    46        nutritious?
    47        A.  My own personal response ---
    48
    49   Q.   Yes.
    50        A.  -- is that this was not true, McDonald's food is 
    51        nutritious. 
    52 
    53   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I think we should know what Mr. Green means
    54        by "nutritious" in the light of previous evidence we have
    55        had.
    56
    57   MR. RAMPTON:  Yes.
    58        A.  From my perspective, from a layman's perspective, it
    59        provides nourishment, it provides nutrients and can be part
    60        of a healthy balanced diet.

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