Day 042 - 31 Oct 94 - Page 26
1 ones on Friday, I think there were one or two at the most,
2 of the children's ones, which did not feature Ronald in
3 some form or another.
4
5 MS. STEEL: The advertisement mentions "lots of fun for
6 everyone" and "a visit to McDonald's makes your day". Is
7 that part of this general idea of promoting McDonald's as a
8 fun place?
9 A. Yes, it is. As I said before, it is very much Ronald
10 as the experience, a fun experience at McDonald's.
11
12 Q. Do you say that that is not trying to promote or sell
13 McDonald's products?
14 A. It is not a direct selling message, no, in the way that
15 selling normally implies. This is very much an
16 entertaining medium.
17
18 Q. Entertaining?
19 A. Yes. But, obviously the Ronald advertising is designed
20 to appeal to children and, therefore, appeal to them to go
21 to McDonald's. That is the reason we do the advertising.
22
23 Q. To get them to buy food?
24 A. Not to get them to buy food. Ronald does not appeal to
25 this age group. Sorry. Ronald does appeal to this age,
26 but Ronald does not -- in that age group of person, the
27 person does not buy the food; it is the family or the
28 parent that buys the food, because the child is too young
29 to visit McDonald's by themselves.
30
31 Q. Right. So it is to get their parents to buy them food?
32 A. Yes.
33
34 Q. It is not just for the experience?
35 A. The experience is part of it, but the food is also part
36 of that experience; they love the food.
37
38 Q. If your stores were filled with children and their parents
39 who had come along for the experience but were not buying
40 any food, would you be happy about that?
41 A. No.
42
43 Q. Right.
44
45 MR. JUSTICE BELL: What is the point of that question?
46
47 MS. STEEL: It is obvious that the whole point of the experience
48 is to get to them to buy the food.
49
50 MR. JUSTICE BELL: Yes. As far as I am concerned, you are
51 pushing at a door which is absolutely wide open. I cannot
52 see any point in McDonald's putting an ad on the television
53 at all unless, either directly or indirectly, it was to
54 increase their sales.
55
56 MS. STEEL: It seems like that to me, as well, but it does not
57 always seem like to the witness.
58
59 MR. JUSTICE BELL: I do not think there is any difference
60 between you and Mr. Hawkes.
