Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was the highestgrossing film in Ireland last year, taking in just under 4m, according to figures from Carlton Screen Advertising. Somewhat surprising, perhaps, given that two other blockbusters, the latest Harry Potter instalment and The Chronicles of Narnia: the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe were also in the mix. Even though the latter two movies were released towards the end of the year, they coincided with the Christmas break.

Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory remake took in 2.1m in its first week of release here last summer.

This year sees the release of a children's film that is certain to attract very strong interest in Ireland. A screen version of Artemis Fowl, based on the first of the books written by Wexford author Eoin Colfer, is due for release in the US in 2006, but the exact date has not yet been confirmed.

Colfer is understood to have received an advance of close to 1m from Miramax for the rights to the first Artemis Fowl book. The series has been a global success for the author.

Other big releases expected this year include a film version of The A-Team, which its producers will be hoping fares better than last year's screen version of The Dukes of Hazzard. Also on the way in 2006 include Ice Age 2, Mission Impossible: 3 and, of course, what could well turn out to be the highest grossing film in Ireland in 2006, The Da Vinci Code.

AFA O'MEARA COOKS UP BAGEL FACTORY ADS

AFA O'Meara has won the Bagel Factory account and will soon launch a 200,000 campaign for the chain, which is a franchise operation run by Abrakebabra co-founder Graeme Beere and Denis Desmond, who is also a shareholder in the kebab and burger business.

The advertising campaign, using the tagline "Come in and get Bageled", will run on radio, print and on outdoor sites.

Full colour adverts will appear in titles such as VIP, Irish Tatler, Umagazine and Image, underlining the fact that the company is hoping to lure more weightconscious female customers with its perceived healthier eating range.

Quarter-page Bagel Factory adverts will feature in the national press.

DIGICEL CHALLENGED IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO

Denis O'Brien may have a tougher battle marketing his Digicel mobile phone network to the 1.3m residents of Trinidad and Tobago than he has in other Caribbean states. Digicel's launch in the island nation has been delayed because incumbent TSTT says it will not have equipment in place until April to enable Digicel connect to the mobile network.

Meanwhile, TSTT (51% government-owned, with the remaining stake held by Digicel nemesis Cable & Wireless) has conveniently gone on an offensive to market its BMobile service before Digicel gets up and running. Prior to Christmas it began offering new customers two mobile phones for the price of one, and tied them into two-year contracts with penalties if they break those contracts.

So popular was the ploy that armed police were called to the network's main outlet in Port of Spain to deal with an overboisterous crowd that mobbed the store. Other outlets had to close early because of similar scenes.

Almost as exciting as being at a tribunal.

LIDL IN FIRST MOVE TO SPEAK UP FOR ITSELF

German discount retailer Lidl has appointed its first spokesperson in the company's 33-year history.

Thomas Oberle took up the position last week, according to newspaper Handelsblatt. Oberle previously worked at the Wuerth Group, which makes screws.

Schwarz Group, which owns Lidl, is believed to be under increasing pressure to reveal more information about itself as the company continues to grow rapidly. It now employs 151,000 people and has annual sales in the region of 36bn.

In Ireland, media enquiries to Lidl are passed on to the local management team but are generally ignored. There is likely to be a strong hope among the local media, therefore, that Herr Oberle speaks English.