Day 246 - 09 May 96 - Page 20
1 my note. You differed from Mr. Preston, but Mr. Preston
2 was saying that effectively it was the same leaflet. You
3 disagree with that, and I may have to decide whether you
4 are right or Mr. Preston is right. But Mr. Preston was
5 saying, although you say to him it is not the leaflet, he
6 was saying, well it is to all intents and purposes the
7 same. That was his evidence. The effect of his evidence.
8
9 MS. STEEL: I think he did accept it was different but he
10 thought that there were sufficient similarities or
11 something to make it comparable, I cannot remember exactly
12 what he said.
13
14 MR. JUSTICE BELL: This leaflet or something similar.
15
16 MS. STEEL: Sorry? This leaflet or something similar?
17
18 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes.
19
20 MS. STEEL: Right. I have put the point to the witness.
21
22 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes.
23
24 MS. STEEL: When in the next paragraph you say, "McDonald's is
25 an honest company which exists to serve the customer to
26 make profit for our shareholders and to contribute to the
27 communities which we serve, London Greenpeace have
28 consistently tried to undermine our business through their
29 activities and we are determined to put a stop it",
30 McDonald's, you are aware, and I think it is has been
31 admitted in the case, have been reprimanded by the
32 Advertising Standards Authority for publishing false and
33 misleading information in their advertisements?
34 A. Well, I am not sure I was here on the day. I will have
35 to... If you can show me where, I suppose it is not
36 impossible. It may very well have submitted an ad to the
37 authorities for approval as the advertising rules apply.
38
39 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Back in early in July of 1994 Ms. Steel or
40 Mr. Morris asked you about an Advertising Standards
41 Authority ruling that in describing packaging as recyclable
42 you had, in their view, misled the public because you were
43 not actually recycling it yourselves?
44 A. Yes.
45
46 Q. And that may be one of the criticisms. I have had some
47 evidence of some of the rulings of authorities critical of
48 items of McDonald's advertising. I am just refreshing
49 people's memory of what was put to them, and then filling
50 you in in the most summary form, of some of the evidence
51 I have heard since July of 1994.
52
53 MS. STEEL: Just to refresh your memory, Mr. Preston, you were
54 also taken to task over an advertisement which appeared in
55 several national newspapers saying that there were very few
56 chemicals in your food, and in particular in milkshakes.
57 I do not know whether you remember that?
58 A. I do not remember the case, but it could very well have
59 been, yes.
60
