The National Newspapers of Ireland (NNI) organisation has launched an advertising competition as part of its ongoing "Press Builds Brands" strategy, which aims to promote the power of newspaper advertising.
The "creative challenge" will see advertising agencies design press campaigns which will highlight the advantages of the press as an advertising medium.
Entrants are invited to explore the theme of "The Essential Pleasure of My Newspaper".
The "Press Builds Brands" strategy was launched last summer with the selection of 22 small indigenous food and drinks companies from the Bord Bia range.
The NNI ran its inaugural challenge as part of this strategy, which was themed "What's so powerful about press ads?"
Some 22 agencies submitted campaigns, and TMP International advertising agency was selected as the overall winner with its campaign on behalf of Glenisk Yoghurts.
Glenisk, along with the two runners-up - The LifeFibre Company and Bradys Family Hams - receive free advertising budgets which were spent in NNI member newspapers earlier this year.
Both the Glenisk Yoghurts and the LifeFibre Company's campaigns have now concluded and were found to be successful, with research proving that the campaigns were strong drivers of sales for both companies.
This year's competition presents a slightly different challenge, the NNI pointed out. "Where our last creative challenge was about the specific issue of newspaper advertising, this time we are asking a broader question about loyalty, habit and identification with one's favourite newspaper."
Addressing several hundred representatives of the advertising community at yesterday's launch, award-winning creative director Graham Warsop spoke on the theme: "Whatever happened to the press ad?" Newspaper advertisements now rely predominantly on visual images, rather than the clever use of copy as in the past, Mr Warsop said.
He said that newspaper advertising, combining copy with images, is often the most effective method of advertising.The NNI was founded in 1985 to promote the newspaper medium.
