Day 045 - 03 Nov 94 - Page 13

     
     1        visit where they are going to have food.
     2
     3   Q.   Why do you not just advertise the food to the children?
     4        A.  Because we want it to be an enjoyable experience beyond
     5        just the food.  It stands for more than experience.  Ronald
     6        makes it an enjoyable experience.  The Happy Meals makes an
     7        enjoyable experience.  The premiums make it an enjoyable
     8        experience.  The birthday parties make it an enjoyable
     9        experience.
    10
    11   Q.   The children are more interested in toys and in the
    12        experience, are they not, than in the food?
    13        A.  I think they are interested in both.  Everything that
    14        I have seen, they enjoy the food as well the premiums.
    15
    16   Q.   So why do you not do more promotion of the food rather than
    17        the toys and Ronald?
    18        A.  I think that the food is very apparent to children.
    19        They know what food is available at McDonald's.  Obviously,
    20        in the characterisations that we use, especially, for
         example, in the Happy Meal, they know that a Happy Meal is
    22        made of a hamburger and french fries and soft drink.
    23
    24   Q.   But you do not focus on the hamburgers, french fries and a
    25        soft drink, in particular, do you?  All those adverts we
    26        saw, the main thing in them was the toys, was it not?
    27        A.  Toys, and also a relationship with McDonaldland, yes.
    28
    29   Q.   Sorry?
    30        A.  Also the relationship with McDonaldland and Ronald
    31        McDonald.
    32
    33   Q.   The food that you do show is mainly depicted in the form of
    34        toys, dancing puppets?
    35        A.  It is depicted mainly in the form of characterisations,
    36        yes.
    37
    38   Q.   Is that because the children would not find the real life
    39        depiction of the food so interesting?
    40        A.  No.  I think they would find it interesting.  But,
         obviously, in a children's world and in the kind of world
    42        that he or she likes, puppets and characterisations are
    43        part of that world.  All you have to do is look at how a
    44        child plays or look at how a child enjoys himself at school
    45        or watches television.  All of those play an active part in
    46        his imagination as well as his life and his lifestyle.
    47
    48   Q.   If they would find it equally interesting, then why is it
    49        not one of the main focuses of your adverts?  Why not just
    50        forget about the toys and just advertise the foods, which 
    51        is what you are there to sell? 
    52        A.  I think both of them talk about the McDonald's 
    53        experience; the toys talk about the McDonald's experience,
    54        the food talks about the McDonald's experience, and Ronald.
    55          Ronald is the way that we address the kind of fun
    56        experience that you get at McDonald's, and we do it, we
    57        think, in a very good way.
    58
    59   Q.   Yes.  I am not talking about the experience.  I am talking
    60        about, why not make the main focus of your advertisements