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

Prev Next Index