Election campaigns go off in a whole new direction...

As election day draws near, parties and candidates are fine-tuning their campaign ploys and taunts.

Fri, 19 Feb, 2016 - 00:00

Juno McEnroe

They are drumming slogans into people’s heads and refusing to play second fiddle to others.

The campaign entered an odd phase yesterday as parties began a poster war in a bid to deride and criticise competitors.

Labour pitched its mock ad early yesterday in newspapers, ridiculing opponents who the government party say have “No Direction”, a play on the famous boyband.

But the ad backfired on the junior coalition partner, after their use of five opposition faces in a poster of the band, which now actually only has four members.

The No Direction mock poster featured the faces of Paul Murphy, Gerry Adams, Micheal Martin, Shane Ross, and Lucinda Creighton. But the latter immediately fired back early in the day Labour party had messed up their own joke.

“The Labour Party is so out of touch they don’t even know there are only four members of One Direction,” Ms Creighton tweeted.

The Labour Party so out of touch they don't even know there are only four members of One Direction #GE16 pic.twitter.com/tasSU9V7B6
— Lucinda Creighton (@LCreighton) February 18, 2016

The ad, featuring the heads of opposition leaders instead of the pop stars, sparked a Twitter spat.

The tagline read: “There is only one direction. Vote Labour for a fair government.”

But Labour hit back at Ms Creighton, referring to her political history and decision to leave Fine Gael: “It’s obvious you’re Zayn & given your history, you’d be the first to leave!”

Sure @LCreighton it's obvious you're Zayn & given your history, you'd be the first to leave! #GE16
— The Labour Party Ireland (@labour) February 18, 2016

Speaking at an AAA-PBP press conference, Dublin South West TD Paul Murphy suggested Enda Kenny and Joan Burton should be on posters as members of the rock band Status Quo. A short while later, that’s exactly what the TD did.

Mr Murphy tweeted a fresh photoshopped poster, depicting the two leaders as members of the famous rock band.

He said: “I corrected that ad for you, seeing as you are so proud about the ‘one direction’ that has failed us.”

But not all politicians were impressed. Social Democrats candidate Gary Gannon tweeted, saying: “I see Irish political discourse is reaching new levels of maturity.”