Day 055 - 25 Nov 94 - Page 69

     
     1        somehow characters such as Popeye may not be effective if
     2        used in other situations.  Firstly, Popeye was not designed
     3        to sell spinach and tinned spinach, which is what he was
     4        eating, is frankly quite foul.  I cannot imagine many
     5        people enjoying tinned spinach.  That is hardly the point
     6        in arguing that because children did not like tinned
     7        spinach, that cartoon characters are not effective in their
     8        use if used in commercials.  I do not really feel that the
     9        reference to Popeye is relevant to that argument.
    10
    11   Q.   It may have this relevance, Ms. Dibb -- I have to leave
    12        this paper now because we have to break off -- may it not,
    13        what might be called "character merchandising", the use of
    14        familiar cartoon characters or well-known sportsmen or pop
    15        artists, whatever else it may be, may be effective in
    16        selling to children those things which children like, those
    17        things which children will readily eat?
    18        A.  Well, I think there is more recent research which has
    19        shown that children can be persuaded to eat foods they
    20        would not traditionally eat by using techniques as those
         that are used in advertisements.
    22
    23   Q.   Like the Liverpool footballers who are used to sell milk,
    24        perhaps, that is an example?
    25        A.  I was specifically thinking of research that is going
    26        on in Bangor University at the moment.
    27
    28   Q.   I did not hear, sorry?
    29        A.  I was specifically referring to research that is
    30        currently underway in Bangor University which has found
    31        that by showing children videos of other children enjoying
    32        foods, which is a technique which is often used in
    33        advertising foods such as broccoli and other vegetables,
    34        that they have changed children's preferences for these
    35        foods.  These are foods which are often described as foods
    36        that children do not like.
    37
    38        So, the initial results from that survey certainly show a
    39        positive way in which advertising messages can be used to
    40        encourage children to eat foods that, perhaps,
         traditionally have not been considered ones that children
    42        like.
    43
    44   MR. RAMPTON:  My Lord, I will do as your Lordship asks; I will
    45        stop now.  Can I just ask one further question?  Ms. Dibb
    46        may or may not be able to answer it.  (To the witness):  Do
    47        you think, Ms. Dibb, when you wrote your paper in which you
    48        extract from this book that you will have read this
    49        introductory passage by June Esserman or not?
    50        A.  I think I may have done.  I did refer to the book in a 
    51        library, and I am sure I looked throughout it.  I think 
    52        there is a lot that you have read out that I do not 
    53        disagree with, and I do not believe that the report
    54        disagrees with.  I do not think, neither does the NFA
    55        report, that children are somehow defenceless or like
    56        little robots.  That is not the position of myself or that
    57        reflected in this report.  So, I think there are some
    58        points in there certainly that I would not disagree with.
    59
    60        I think, as I made clear yesterday, there are two issues