Ad executives go on another rant

Michael Clancy, managing director of Mediavest, performs at the IAPI’s Rant Night
Michael Clancy, managing director of Mediavest, performs at the IAPI’s Rant Night

‘Why is advertising trying to make me cry?” asked Leo Moore, planning director at ad agency Irish International, during the industry’s annual rant night last week.

Blaming John Lewis’s Christmas campaigns for the onslaught of adverts that involve children with a problem and “plinky, plonky piano music”, Moore said: “We’ve suffered a huge amount of overly emotive, sickly sweet advertising over the past ...