BusinessTop ranking regional creative agency Leith expands into Manchester

Top ranking regional creative agency Leith expands into Manchester

Scotland’s largest creative agency opens first office in Manchester fuelled by back-to-back record breaking years.

  • Leith increased revenue to £11.5m in 2021, growing headcount to 131
  • Leith’s client list also includes IRN-BRU, NatWest/Royal Bank of Scotland, Network Rail, Edrington Group, Nando’s, and The Scottish Government.
  • Recently launched Leith Studios end-to-end production offering to be led by ex Havas Head of Film and Creative Director with 10 new hires based in Manchester office.
  • Growing healthcare division also ideally situated in the North West England.

Founded in Edinburgh’s docks in 1984, Leith grew to become the No.1 Regional Agency in the UK (Campaign 2021). Highly creative and renowned for award winning creative campaigns with the Scottish Government and the Extra Time Badge (Clio 2022), Leith is consistently one of the most awarded agencies in the UK (Roses 2022).

On the back of successive record-breaking years, creative agency Leith is opening an office on Richmond Street in Manchester for the first time, its first office outside of Scotland that will focus on offering end-to-end production facilities through its new venture Leith Studios. Led by ex-Havas Head of Film Neil Williams, the new production unit has a state of the art online editing finishing suite and has recruited 10 new hires, supported by 131 “Leithers” at the agency’s Edinburgh headquarters.

Neil 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, Leith, 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 by Lumanity (previously known as Cello Health) in 2004. With over a thousand employees worldwide and offices in America, London and across Europe. Lumanity is on a mission to bring together incisive thinking and decisive action to cut through complex situations and deliver transformative outcomes to accelerate and optimise access to medical advances.

News Desk
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The Business Manchester News Desk team is a collective of experienced journalists and editors dedicated to delivering comprehensive business news and insights from the Manchester area and beyond. With a strong background in finance, technology, property, and innovation, our team ensures that our readers stay well-informed about the latest trends and developments in the business world. Through in-depth reports and insightful analysis, the Business Manchester News Desk team is committed to providing high-quality journalism to its audience.
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