Scottish creative agency recruits 10 staff in first venture south of the border
An Edinburgh-based creative agency has chosen Manchester to open its first base outside Scotland.
Leith Agency has created 10 jobs at its new site in the city centre’s Richmond Street.
Leith increased revenues to £11.5m in 2021, and grew its headcount to 131 prior to the Manchester opening.
Its client list includes IRN-BRU, NatWest/Royal Bank of Scotland, Network Rail, Edrington Group, Nando’s, and The Scottish Government.
Founded in the Edinburgh docks area in 1984, the business was crowned in the trade press as the UK No1 regional agency in 2021.
The new Manchester office will be headed by ex-Havas head of film and creative director, Neil Williams, who will focus on offering end-to-end production facilities through its new venture Leith Studios.
The production unit has a modern online editing finishing suite, staffed by the new recruits, and supported by 131 ‘Leithers’ at the agency’s Edinburgh HQ.
Mr Williams said: “It’s a great step change and opportunity for Leith in Manchester, with the extraordinary production talent available in the North West fuelled by Leith’s award-winning creativity, clients can expect a fresh and innovative new approach to their content creation.”
Additionally the office will look to grow the agency’s healthcare expertise which now accounts for 25% of Leith’s revenue, specialising in pharmaceuticals and increasingly in areas like mental health and wellbeing, working with brands nationally and globally including EFPIA, IFPMA, IPHA, L’Oreal and Worldwide Cancer Research.
Richard Marsham, group managing partner, said: “We’re excited to see years of growth for Leith come to fruition – Manchester feels like a natural second home for Leith, combining our top drawer creative firepower with our leading edge health expertise and enhanced production facilities.
“We are broadening our client offer in light of market demand, and continue to attract clients across the UK and beyond.”
The agency appointed John McPartland from Havas Lynx last year to oversee its health team’s creative output, and the team subsequently won Grand Clio Health in New York earlier in the year.
Leith was founded in 1984, and was acquired in 2004 by Lumanity, previously known as Cello Health, with more than 1,000 employees worldwide and offices in America, London and across Europe.
