Day 300 - 14 Nov 96 - Page 10


     
     1        true.
     2
     3   MS. STEEL:   Obviously, that is our view.  I don't know what the
     4        legality on it is.
     5
     6   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  The question about it must not be -- if
     7        McDonald's are going to succeed, you have to read that in
     8        first, if McDonald's are going to succeed they cannot
     9        succeed on a meaning greater than, but they can certainly
    10        lose on a meaning greater.
    11
    12        Do not take this as any indication of a view one way or
    13        another, but it is in that spirit that I ask you to let us
    14        look at it together and then if I miss something out -----
    15
    16   MS. STEEL:   I am not trying to say -- I am quite happy that we
    17        have fully justified our view that McDonald's are
    18        deliberately exploiting children, so I do not have any fear
    19        about it.  I was just mentioning that point because I am
    20        not really sure about the legalities of it, that is all.
    21
    22   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   Do not worry.  It would help me if I just
    23        went through and identified the ones which might be, and
    24        you can tell me whether there are more, and then in due
    25        course Mr. Rampton will tell me if he thinks you are wrong
    26        or if he thinks I am wrong.  First of all, the amount of
    27        advertising.
    28
    29   MS. STEEL:   First of all, that they aim a considerable amount
    30        of advertising at children.
    31
    32   MR. JUSTICE BELL:   I have just put the amount of advertising
    33        because query whether it matters whether it is nearly all
    34        or an awful lot.
    35
    36   MS. STEEL:   Secondly, that they portray going to McDonald's, or
    37        portray McDonald's as a sort of fun event and use any
    38        number of gimmicks to sort of portray this fun and happy
    39        atmosphere and so on, in order to get the children there to
    40        eat the food, rather than, you know, being more honest
    41        about what they are trying to sell to the children, which
    42        is the food.
    43
    44   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Right.  I will just put down 'normality
    45        trap'.  That is just shorthand.  It is not meant to be
    46        being the odd one out, call it what you will.
    47
    48   MS. STEEL:   There is the fact that they use advertising at all,
    49        whether or not it is deceptive; the fact that they use
    50        advertising at all to children, you know, especially
    51        considering that they are impressionable and vulnerable to
    52        that sort of persuasion.
    53
    54   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Just pause a moment.  (Pause)  Where do I get
    55        that from the leaflet, apart from, as part of the normality
    56        trap.
    57
    58   MS. STEEL:   I mean, it is a general thing from the fact that
    59        the leaflet criticises the advertising to children in
    60        general.  The very first sentence, for example.

Prev Next Index