Day 047 - 07 Nov 94 - Page 54
1
2 MR. MORRIS: Now, would you say that children's ability to
3 understand advertising varies enormously according to age?
4 A. Yes.
5
6 Q. And obviously the younger the child is the more
7 impressionable they are?
8 A. Or the less they understand.
9
10 Q. And would you say it is reasonable to say that round about
11 the age of seven or eight as an average, children begin to
12 understand advertising, its purpose?
13 A. I think begin to, is not true. I think children begin
14 to understand the purpose of advertising frequently at a
15 much earlier age than that.
16
17 Q. But on average?
18 A. But certainly it depends, for example when they can
19 read. If they can not read the name of the brand on the
20 screen, then they will understand the message less than if
21 they can read. That is just one example.
22
23 Q. If we go to the guidelines of the ITC, if I can find them,
24 on number six on page 12 of the advertising to children?
25 A. Yes.
26
27 Q. It says "Neither advertisements may imply that unless
28 children themselves buy or encourage other people to buy a
29 product or service they will be failing in some duty or
30 lacking in loyalty" sorry, I think the more important one,
31 I was going to draw your attention to was the very first
32 one. It is about loyalty really. "No method of advertising
33 may be employed which takes advantage of the natural
34 credulity and sense of loyalty of children."
35 What does it mean, what does loyalty, children's loyalty
36 mean in your interpretation?
37 A. I suppose it means loyalty to other children. There is
38 a very strong sense of peer pressure, as you probably know,
39 and it's not at all uncommon for children to come home from
40 school and say, everyone has got a something or other. I
41 want one. So the idea that I am letting the others down if
42 I do not have one. I think that is what is meant by
43 loyalty.
44
45 Q. What about loyalty to an advertiser that might try to
46 generate loyalty to a company or to a product? Is that
47 something that could also be abused or misused or
48 something?
49 A. It is possible, but I am not sure that that is
50 something that happens very frequently.
51
52 Q. Right.
53
54 MR. JUSTICE BELL: If that is what it meant it would be
55 impossible to advertise your brand, would it not, because
56 there is the whole point that you want the children to use
57 your brand?
58 A. Yes, I think that is so, My Lord but I think it would
59 be possible to over state the case to a child and that
60 might be an undesirable thing. But I doubt if that would be
