Day 300 - 14 Nov 96 - Page 22
1 effect on children than adults. Although, you know, we
2 could just say that adults are impressionable as well.
3
4 Mr. Green said that the advertisements which were aimed at
5 older kids, or tweens, between the age of nine and 16, that
6 the aim was to make sure they feel that McDonald's
7 understands them. That was day 43, page 23, line 17. We
8 would say, again, that is manipulation of children's
9 emotions. McDonald's is not interested in understanding
10 them. McDonald's is interested in making profits from
11 them. They are not a friend; they are a multi-national
12 corporation which is trying to grab their money from them.
13
14 Mr. Green agreed that community and charitable activity was
15 "a benefit to the company", and it was "good business"
16 which gained free publicity. That was day 43, page 50,
17 line 3 and page 31 -- the second reference is day 45,
18 page 31, line 48.
19
20 He also explained how the so-called educational promotions
21 in schools generate better feelings towards McDonald's and
22 lead to more patronage. That was on day 43, page 47, line
23 39. We asked him about the Golden Arches code for their
24 advertising and the statement in there that the name of the
25 advertisements was to make people feel a warm empathy
26 towards the commercial, and Mr. Green agreed that therefore
27 they will feel, or as a result they would feel, an empathy
28 towards the company, that that was an aim. That was day
29 45, page 3. Obviously, that is manipulation of emotions,
30 and it applies to both adults and children.
31
32 Mr. Green said that the company employed 100 Ronald
33 McDonalds to tour local community events, that was day 44,
34 page 34. Obviously that would be an additional expenditure
35 to add to the advertising budget directed to children.
36 Mr. Green defended the targeting of children up to eight
37 years old and said that ronald mcdonald was a friend
38 which -- well, it is the same point really, but I just
39 think it is completely sickening, really, that this
40 so-called friend is in reality just there to promote
41 McDonald's and increase its profits.
42
43 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Did you have a reference for that? Is it
44 the same one?
45
46 MS. STEEL: I think so, yes. We asked him about the hamburger
47 patch which appears in the -- I think it is shown in the
48 animals film, actually, which is a set from McDonaldland,
49 which portrays happy burgers growing on plants, and we
50 asked him why it was that McDonald's do not actually put
51 forward the truth to children, i.e., that the burgers come
52 from animals which are killed in slaughter houses, why do
53 they not show them that. He said that would not be very
54 appetising. That was on day 46, page 55, line 40.
55
56 Obviously it would not be very appetising and that is
57 precisely why McDonald's is deceiving children and trying
58 to hoodwink them into believing that burgers grow on plants
59 and are all happy and are dying to be eaten.
60
