What Leith does

Leith is a Scottish creative agency headquartered in Edinburgh that provides advertising, strategic communications, and digital design services primarily to enterprise and government clients in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1994 and operating with a headcount in the 51–100 range, the agency's core offering is integrated campaign development delivered across digital, social, radio, and out-of-home channels. Its client base is anchored in the UK transport sector — most prominently Network Rail, with which it has held a creative framework position since 2014, extended through 2030 — alongside ScotRail and East Midlands Railway, and has expanded into public-sector work via a Scottish Government national campaign on online misogyny targeting boys aged 11–18.

The agency's underlying offering is professional creative services rather than proprietary technology. Its product surface comprises strategic and campaign development (e.g., the Railway 200 Inspiration exhibition, Check Before You Travel disruption communications), in-house UX and digital design led by a small team of three UX/UI designers under the Head of UX and Digital Design, public-awareness campaign execution, and award-winning advertising work such as the Irn-Bru Euros campaign (Prolific North Creative Awards, 2026). Notable technical components are limited to design tooling and standard digital channels; there is no disclosed platform, app, API, patents, or proprietary dataset underlying the agency's work.

Leith generates revenue through project-based engagements and long-term framework agreements with large enterprise and government clients, with pricing driven by competitive tender processes. Its go-to-market combines bottom-funnel direct enterprise sales via framework re-tenders (Network Rail Lot 1, Scottish Government procurement) with top-of-funnel brand building through regional industry awards and PR coverage in publications such as Prolific North and LBbonline. The agency's value proposition rests on sector expertise in rail and transport communications, long-standing client relationships, and award-validated creative quality rather than technology differentiation.

Name

Leith

Legal name

Leith

Website

https://leith.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Leith is a Scottish creative agency offering advertising, campaign development, and digital design services to enterprise and government clients. Its portfolio is anchored by a long-running Network Rail framework (2014–2030) and includes rail operators and Scottish Government public-awareness campaigns.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Creative Agency Services: Professional creative services including strategic and campaign development, delivered through framework agreements with enterprise clients such as Network Rail. Revenue generated through long-term contractual relationships and project-based engagements.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Leith is a Scottish creative agency that develops strategic advertising campaigns and creative communications for enterprise and government clients. The agency delivers multi-channel campaigns spanning digital, social, radio, and out-of-home, alongside strategic communications, UX and digital design, and disruption communications for the rail sector.

Product overview

Leith is a Scottish creative agency offering advertising campaigns and strategic creative services. The agency operates as a single unified offering focused on campaign development and creative strategy, working across advertising, digital design, and strategic communications. Key offerings include the Irn-Bru Euros campaign (award-winning advertising), Network Rail creative services (strategic and campaign development), and the Scottish Government's online misogyny prevention campaign.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Network Rail Creative Services
• Irn-Bru Euros Campaign
• Online Misogyny Prevention Campaign
• UX and Digital Design Services

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Network RailcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 March 2026Retained position on Network Rail's creative framework following competitive re-tender, securing Lot 1 covering strategic and campaign development. Partnership extended from 2014 to 2030, becoming a 16-year relationship with one of the UK's largest transport operators. Includes campaigns such as Inspiration exhibition for Railway 200 and Check Before You Travel disruption communications.
• Scottish GovernmentcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 February 2026Created national campaign addressing online misogyny targeting boys aged 11-18. Campaign developed through co-creation process involving young people, research firm The Nursery, and pupils from Leith Secondary School. Runs across digital, social, radio, and out-of-home channels.
• The NurseryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch firm involved in co-creation process for Scottish Government online misogyny campaign, providing research expertise alongside Leith's creative development.
• ScotRailminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScottish rail operator for which Leith brings additional sector expertise alongside Network Rail work. Part of broader rail industry client portfolio.
• East Midlands RailwayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnglish rail operator for which Leith brings additional sector expertise. Part of broader rail industry client portfolio alongside Network Rail.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• The&Partnership: Independent creative and media agency operating in the UK with enterprise clients. Matches Leith's B2B enterprise GTM and integrated creative services model.
• The Union: Edinburgh-based creative and design agency serving UK enterprise and public-sector clients with brand, campaign, and digital work. Direct geographic and capability peer to Leith, both competing for Scottish enterprise and government briefs.
• Story UK: Independent UK creative agency focused on advertising campaigns, content, and brand work for enterprise clients. Comparable in business model and campaign-led offering to Leith.
• Mother London: Independent UK creative agency delivering advertising campaigns and brand strategy for major enterprise clients. Closely aligned with Leith's model of strategic creative and campaign development for large brands.
• Uncommon Creative Studio: Independent creative studio recognised for award-winning campaigns across multiple channels. Operates with a similar campaign-led, multi-channel model and comparable size band to Leith.
• Lucky Generals: UK independent creative agency focused on brand and advertising campaigns for enterprise clients. Comparable in independent agency positioning, campaign focus, and target client profile.

Broad incumbents

• AMV BBDO: Major UK advertising agency within a global network, serving large enterprise clients with strategic and creative campaigns. Larger scale incumbent operating in the same enterprise creative-services market as Leith.
• Saatchi & Saatchi: Global advertising agency with a major London presence, providing brand strategy and campaigns to multinational clients. Overlaps Leith's enterprise campaign offering but at much greater scale.
• Wieden+Kennedy London: Global creative agency operating in London, delivering award-winning campaigns for major brands. Broad incumbent competing for the same enterprise creative briefs Leith targets.
• McCann Worldgroup UK: Global advertising and communications network with a strong UK presence, offering brand and campaign services to enterprise clients. Competes for the same enterprise creative mandates Leith pursues.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theleith
• Facebookfacebook.com/theleith
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-leith-agency

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Leith