Day 046 - 04 Nov 94 - Page 51
1 how the competition spends its dollars, but we spend more
2 money than the competition. So it would follow that we
3 spend more money on children's advertising.
4
5 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Just pause there a moment. I do not know
6 whether you meant to ask whether they spend more (period),
7 or they spend a greater proportion of their budget, or
8 both.
9
10 MS. STEEL: More, (period).
11
12 MR. JUSTICE BELL: (To the witness) Then it is right to ask: do
13 you know about proportions, whether you spend a greater
14 proportion on children's advertising than, say, Burger King
15 or Wendy's?
16 A. I have not looked at their specific proportions, so I
17 do not know.
18
19 MS. STEEL: I believe your annual reports actually state in them
20 that you are the most advertised single brand in the world,
21 or that you have been at some stage; is that right?
22 A. Certainly, we are close to the top 10. Let us say,
23 I am sure we are in the top 10. As to whether we are first
24 or second, it depends how you look at things. So I have
25 really never looked at it. I know that General Motors and
26 other people spend more money than we do.
27
28 MR. JUSTICE BELL: And Mercedes spent more than some of the big
29 American car manufacturers?
30 A. Right. But we are certainly one of the top brands that
31 is advertised in the world.
32
33 MS. STEEL: I will come back to that. Just looking at your
34 statement, on page 4 of your statement which is page 23 of
35 the bundle?
36 A. Yes.
37
38 Q. You say, about midway through the first paragraph that is
39 on that page: ".....nor should children be depicted as
40 coming into McDonald's on their own." That is because you
41 do not want to encourage them to come in on their own; is
42 that right?
43 A. Yes. Small children who do not have a logical way to
44 come to the restaurant should not be encouraged to come in
45 on their own. Actually, coming in on their own is in the
46 Golden Arches Code.
47
48 Q. When you say "small children", you mean up to nine or ten?
49 A. Yes. I think this is probably, in general, that age
50 group.
51
52 Q. Does that not contradict the sentence saying that "children
53 are never encouraged to ask their parents to bring them to
54 McDonald's"?
55 A. No. I think it is very specific. We do not encourage
56 children to ask their parents. I do not think you will
57 find any advertisement that says: "Please ask your mom and
58 dad to take you to McDonald's."
59
60 MR. JUSTICE BELL: No. I am not going to stop you, but
