witness statement




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 cv: (not available for this witness)


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
references: Not applicable/ available

exhibits: Not applicable/ available

transcripts of court appearances:

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