| name: | Adrian Mitchell |
| section: | Advertising |
| for: | The Defence |
| experience: | Poet, Playwright, Novelist |
summary:
The leaflet is evidently written by people of principle whose main motive is their concern for animals, for children and for people they believe are being misled. They make a strong plea for vegetarianism which is their absolute right. Under the heading 'Your influence counts' they make the statement; `we tend to undervalue our personal responsibility and influence. This is wrong. All changes in society starts from individuals taking the time to think about the way they live and acting on their beliefs'. I find this a strong and admirable moral statement.
cv:
1. I am a poet, playwright and novelist for both children and adults.
2. I have held the following fellowships:
full statement:
3. In our society there is advertising everywhere; television,
radio, hoardings, street signs, newspapers and magazines etc. You
cannot escape it. We are subjected to constant bombardment by people
who are only interested in getting their money. Because the media is
run by people who depend on advertising revenue, this bombardment is
hardly questioned in public. Even the assault on children is seldom
questioned. McDonalds are one of the participants in this bombardment
using a clown called Ronald McDonald and images of happy excited
children. They aim to draw children to their selling points. Billions
of pounds are spent on advertising and I guess, millions by
McDonalds. It is impossible to avoid it. It is everywhere, so when a
huge corporation decides to use its resources to prosecute a few
people for distributing a few leaflets by hand, something seems wrong
to me. If advertisers can have the freedom to brain wash as many
people as they can reach then these very few critics that they have
should have as much freedom to criticise as possible. If they can
boost their product with images, expensive films and comments and
employ slogans like people are our most important ingredient" then
their advertising and their products should be exposed to criticism
from those who dislike them or distrust them. If you have the right to
say that meat is great to eat then I have the right to say that meat
is horrible. So my main reason for defending this leaflet will be on
the grounds of freedom of speech, freedom of opinion, freedom to
criticise and freedom to comment.
4. The pamphlet employs various accepted and valid literary forms
such as satire and poetic license. I firmly believe that McDonalds'
use of language in advertising is highly calculated and employs a
range of psychological techniques to boost their profits. London
Greenpeace have the right to respond in the way that they do.
5. The leaflet is evidently written by people of principle whose main
motive is their concern for animals, for children and for people they
believe are being misled. They make a strong plea for vegetarianism
which is their absolute right. Under the heading `Your influence
counts' they make the statement; `we tend to undervalue our personal
responsibility and influence. This is wrong. All changes in society
starts from individuals taking the time to think about the way they
live and acting on their beliefs'. I find this a strong and admirable
moral statement. Sometimes this pamphlet uses language in what I would
call a cartoon rather than a literal sense but this is because of the
passion of its writers which is not a passion to destroy a giant
corporation but a passion to protect the earth; its forests, its
animals, its children and its people.
| date signed: | 28 July 1993 |
| status: | Appeared in court |
exhibits: Not applicable/ available
transcripts of court appearances:
related links: