One Black Bear
One Black Bear is an independent, full-service creative agency founded in 2003, operating from Birmingham and Manchester and serving clients across transport, healthcare, retail, automotive, charity, and public sector with integrated advertising, branding, digital, and PR services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersBirmingham, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What One Black Bear does
One Black Bear is an independent, full-service creative agency founded in 2003 by Jon Harrison and Richard Elwell and headquartered in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter, with a second office in Manchester's Ancoats district. The firm delivers integrated marketing services spanning advertising (OOH, TV, radio, press, digital display), branding and identity, design, social media, content creation (copywriting, video, photography, animation), digital and website services, PR, and brand strategy. Its client base covers at least 25 named brands across transport (National Express, FlixBus UK, M6toll), healthcare and public sector (NHS, Transport for West Midlands), automotive (Isuzu UK, Chips Away, Point S), retail (F.Hinds, Eurocell, Lee Longlands), charity (St Basils, Age UK, Smart Works), and luxury (ZEISS).
The business operates as a professional services firm generating revenue through project-based and retainer engagements, won primarily through competitive creative pitches. The agency emphasizes 'fierce' creative work and has built a regional concentration in the West Midlands, with 85% of client income derived from businesses within 20 miles of its Birmingham office. The technology stack is standard martech: HubSpot for email marketing, Google Analytics and DoubleClick for site analytics, and Vimeo and SoundCloud for hosting creative content. There is no proprietary technology platform, no AI/ML capability, and no external funding; the firm is privately held by its founding partners, both of whom remain active as Creative Directors. Recognized by The Drum as Birmingham's leading independent agency and listed in the UK's top 100 independents, the firm holds multiple Roses Creative Awards and Travel Marketing Awards and is a full member of the IPA.
One Black Bear firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- One Black Bear
- Legal name
- One Black Bear
- Website
- https://oneblackbear.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- One Black Bear is an independent, full-service creative agency founded in 2003, operating from Birmingham and Manchester and serving clients across transport, healthcare, retail, automotive, charity, and public sector with integrated advertising, branding, digital, and PR services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
One Black Bear industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Creative Advertising Services
- NAICS
- Advertising Agencies (541810), Graphic Design Services (541430)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- B2B/ABM Creative Agencies (MPAAAAAI)
Keywords
Where One Black Bear is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Birmingham
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
One Black Bear business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Creative and Advertising Services: The agency generates revenue by providing creative advertising and marketing services to clients, including branding, advertising campaigns, digital content, social media, video production, and website design. Revenue appears to be project-based and retainer-based for ongoing client relationships.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
One Black Bear product offering
Product offeringCore offering
One Black Bear is an independent creative agency delivering full-service advertising, branding, design, digital, social media, content creation, PR, and strategic planning services to B2B clients across multiple sectors. The agency produces campaigns spanning out-of-home, TV, radio, press, and digital display advertising, along with website design, brand identity, and integrated campaign management for household names, challenger brands, and organisations.
Product overview
One Black Bear is an independent creative advertising agency offering a comprehensive suite of marketing and creative services. Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter with a second office in Manchester, the agency provides integrated services spanning advertising (OOH, TV, radio, press, digital display), branding (strategy, identity, naming, packaging), design, social media, content creation (copywriting, video, photography, animation), digital services (website design, UX, back-end development), PR, and strategic planning. Their service offering is delivered across diverse sector specializations including automotive, charity, healthcare, retail, transport, tourism, luxury goods, and public sector. The agency operates as a single unified offering rather than modular products, providing end-to-end creative and marketing solutions for clients ranging from household names to challenger brands and charities.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Advertising Services
- Branding
- Design Services
- Social Media Services
- Content Creation
Quantifiable outcome
- 5 Roses Creative Awards making them the most awarded Midlands creative agency in 2020
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use One Black Bear
Customer profileNamed customers25 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
One Black Bear technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration5 records
One Black Bear partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Mediaplus UKminorCollaboration with Mediaplus UK on FlixBus UK campaign. One Black Bear is working with Mediaplus UK for the biggest UK campaign to date for FlixBus.
- SHCminorPartnership with Birmingham-based SHC for pan-European brief with flibco.com, the European airport transfer brand. Won competitive pitch against international agencies.
- Green Small Business CertifiedminorEnvironmental certification for sustainable business practices. Displayed on website footer.
- IPA (Institute for Practitioners in Advertising)coreFull membership of the IPA providing access to training, seminars, and insight resources. IPA membership demonstrates commitment to industry standards and professional development.
- MediaComcorePartnership with MediaCom for media buying and planning as part of the ZEISS UK appointment. MediaCom handles all media buying and planning while One Black Bear provides creative services.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
One Black Bear competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Mother London: Premier UK independent creative agency offering full-service advertising, branding, and design. Like One Black Bear, Mother is a founder-led indie that competes in the same pitch lists for enterprise clients seeking an alternative to network agencies.
- Lucky Generals: London-based independent creative agency of comparable mid-size, similarly founder-led and pitching for integrated campaigns. Operates with the same UK indie positioning that One Black Bear competes against on enterprise briefs.
- Uncommon Creative Studio: UK independent creative studio with a comparable multi-sector, project-driven model and a strong award pedigree. Direct competitor in the same independent-agency market segment serving challenger and household-name clients.
- New Commercial Arts: London-based independent creative agency founded by senior UK agency talent. Competes head-to-head with One Black Bear on UK creative pitches and on clients seeking indie alternatives to network holding companies.
- Bray Leino: UK independent creative agency group with full-service advertising, branding, digital, and content offerings. Closely comparable full-service model and similar horizontal sector coverage to One Black Bear.
- Krow: Independent UK creative agency offering advertising, branding, and digital services. Similar scale and positioning, competing for the same mid-market and enterprise UK clients as One Black Bear.
- BJL Group: Manchester-headquartered creative agency with offices across the UK offering advertising, branding, and PR. Direct competitor on regional UK briefs; shares One Black Bear's Manchester office and multi-sector client mix.
- Wonderhood Studios: UK independent creative studio with a comparable full-service offering, working on multi-sector campaigns. Direct competitor for enterprise clients seeking independent, founder-led creative shops.
- The&Partnership: UK-headquartered independent creative network offering advertising, branding, and media. Direct competitor for enterprise accounts looking for indie agency credibility at greater scale than One Black Bear.
Regional players
- McCann Birmingham: Birmingham office of the McCann Worldgroup network, providing comparable advertising and branding services in the same West Midlands geography. Unlike One Black Bear, it draws on global network resources for media buying and integrated services.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
One Black Bear social profiles
Digital presenceOne Black Bear compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
One Black Bear financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
One Black Bear leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
One Black Bear funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
One Black Bear M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about One Black Bear
What does One Black Bear do?
One Black Bear is an independent creative agency delivering full-service advertising, branding, design, digital, social media, content creation, PR, and strategic planning services to B2B clients across multiple sectors. The agency produces campaigns spanning out-of-home, TV, radio, press, and digital display advertising, along with website design, brand identity, and integrated campaign management for household names, challenger brands, and organisations.
Is One Black Bear a public or private company?
One Black Bear is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was One Black Bear founded?
One Black Bear was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is One Black Bear based?
One Black Bear is headquartered in Birmingham, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does One Black Bear make money?
One revenue line is on record: creative and Advertising Services.
Who are One Black Bear's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Mother London, Lucky Generals, Uncommon Creative Studio, New Commercial Arts, Bray Leino, Krow, BJL Group, Wonderhood Studios and The&Partnership. McCann Birmingham is listed as a regional player.
Does One Black Bear have an API?
No public API is recorded for One Black Bear.
What industry is One Black Bear in?
One Black Bear's product category is Creative Advertising Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAAAI, B2B/ABM Creative Agencies. Its NAICS code is 541810 and its SIC code is 7310.