Figures for Net usage

AC Neilsen has published statistics for Internet usage in Ireland which should make advertisers less wary of the medium. Currently, advertisers are proving shy of assigning major budgets to a medium for which there are so few ways of measuring effectiveness. The survey, which covers March, found that the average Irish user spends four hours and 23 minutes per month on the Web and looks at about 18 sites and 352 pages. Six out of 10 surfers are males, who spend 40 per cent more time online than women. The most unexpected results of the survey relate to the age profile of users, which should be of interest to marketers chasing the grey pound. The results suggest that the heaviest users of the Internet in Ireland are also the oldest. The over-65s log on for an average of 5.8 hours per month, significantly more than 35- to 49-year-olds, who go online for 4.4 hours.

The new campaign for the Playtex Wonderbra Bliss range features model Michelle Ray and is on 48 poster sites, mainly in Dublin, but only for the next two weeks.

It is part of a £100,000 (€126,974) spend for the new lingerie range and it will be followed up by a television campaign, which breaks in August, and by magazine advertising. The campaign was devised by Euro RSCG in London. Since its "Hello Boys" days, Playtex has specialised in traffic-stopping posters, and this is no different. The poster is split in two, featuring on one side the US model stripped down to her undies eating a marshmallow and, on the other, a close-up of more fluffy pink and white marshmallows. Burrell Marketing is handling the £300,000 Playtex account for the Republic.

Bernice Harrison can be contacted at bharrison@irish- times.ie.