Irish advertisers spent £1.6 million (€2 million) of their advertising budgets on online marketing last year and that is expected to nearly treble within 12 months, according to a new survey.

The Amarach consulting survey, commissioned by online advertising company ICAN and the Advertisers Association of Ireland, found 33 per cent of Irish companies used online advertising in the last year, compared to 64 per cent of top US companies.

Twice as many firms plan to use banner advertising this year and keyword purchasing links is also set to double, with 39 per cent of firms intending to do so.

Irish International (II) has won the advertising account for the Aer Lingus flotation. It's not the biggest surprise, given that II handled the Eircom flotation and also has the main Aer Lingus business. There was a short list of four who presented last week, and it included Bates, McConnells and DDFH&B.

Meteor has appointed Chemistry as its advertising agency. The account first went out for pitch a year ago at which time Irish International was appointed. But while the mobile phone operator was slugging it out in the courts, the agency picked up Esat business and so they had to resign Meteor. No date has been set for Meteor's launch but legally it has to be within the next nine months and the company hopes to be in the market for the Christmas period. The win is a major one for the year-old Chemistry whose main clients include Peugeot, Dublin Bus and First Active.

Youngs has won the £1.5 million Axa account in a two-way pitch with DDFH&B. Football fans will be familiar with the global insurance firm's brand name, thanks to the company's sponsorship of European football, but it is little known among consumers here.