While Chemistry and McConnells won the top prizes, three other advertising agencies received "highly commended" classifications for entries by their staff.

Dublin-based QMP Publicis and Cawley Nea TBWA, also based in the capital, received two highly commended awards each, while another Dublin agency, Owens DDB, received one.

Luke Sullivan, the competition's judge, praised QMP Publicis's Eugene Ruane and Anton McClelland for their campaign "Search" and Ronan Nulty and Ger Roe of the same agency for their "Eye Catching 2" campaign.

"All in One" by Kathryn McDonagh and John Kilkenny of Owens DDB won a highly commended award, as did "Got til it's gone" by Robert Frew, a freelance.

Cawley Nea TBWA's two highly commended awards came from "The Power to Target Your Every Mood," by Alan Kelly and Martin Cowman, and "Why?" by Colin Hart and Mark Black.

The competition's student prize went to Damien Reid, an MSc student of advertising at the Dublin Institute of Technology. He won €1,000 for his entry.