Day 047 - 07 Nov 94 - Page 08
1 children to eat enough, to eat reasonably balanced meals,
2 to take part in family eating occasions. A lot of children
3 want to go off and eat on their own -- "grazing" it is
4 often called. A lot of children will reject what their
5 parents put on the plate in front of them.
6
7 So if there are eating out occasions which the children
8 like the idea of, then that is at least one meal which is
9 not going to have any hassle, it is not going to have any
10 disagreement, and it is going to be welcomed by all
11 parties.
12
13 So I suppose those are the two main reasons why a company
14 might advertise to an adult and a child audience.
15
16 Q. Are those phenomena, which are in a sense arriving at the
17 same place by different routes -- in other words, the quick
18 service restaurant -- recognised by our regulatory
19 authorities?
20 A. I think so. I am not aware of anything that I have
21 said which comes outside the framework in which we have
22 codes and regulations.
23
24 Q. Specifically this, that there may be cases in which the
25 child says, "Well, if we are going out, I would like to go
26 to McDonald's", for example -- sometimes characterised as
27 "pester power", I think; is that right?
28 A. It is not a phrase I like, but it is a phrase I am
29 familiar with.
30
31 Q. As I was asking you, are you and other people like you in
32 the advertising industry aware of that particular
33 phenomenon?
34 A. Indeed.
35
36 Q. As a consequence of advertising?
37 A. Indeed. We have provisions in the codes to make sure
38 that advertisers do not say to child audiences, "Ask your
39 mother or father, or whoever, to do this for you." We do
40 our best to make sure that that is kept to a reasonable
41 balance. We all know that children will behave in that way
42 with or without advertising, but we want to make sure that
43 advertisements do not make that any worse.
44
45 Q. Assuming, therefore, that this phenomenon is at least
46 tolerated by the regulatory authorities, can you say why it
47 is that it is not thought objectionable and, therefore,
48 prohibited?
49 A. Because it is a normal part of growing up in family
50 life. It is not something which is caused by advertising.
51 All children have the ability to wheedle their parents,
52 often very successfully; they always did. I am sure they
53 did hundreds of years ago, as well as 50 years ago. It is
54 nothing to do with advertising per se. Advertising merely
55 gives an additional opportunity for children to see things
56 that they might like.
57
58 Q. Am I right in thinking that the advertising of tobacco and
59 alcohol to children is not permitted?
60 A. That is correct.
