Made in Leith – Dock

We’ve developed a new campaign for Public Health Agency to raise awareness of good mental health. The campaign aims to highlight the early warning signs that could indicate a mental health issue and encourage people to seek help.

The ‘Under the surface’ multimedia public information campaign goes live today, World Mental Health Day, and will be carried in local press, on radio, TV, online and on the campaign website www.mindingyourhead.info.

The campaign message is that if you feel that your problems are getting on top of you, you can do something about it, like talking to someone you trust. Too often people are reluctant to seek help because there is still a degree of stigma attached to mental illness.

This campaign builds on the work we’ve been doing for the PHA over the last few years, including the award winning ‘Don’t cover up your problems’ campaign, to try and end this stigma and to get people to think about their mental health in the same way as physical health. Both are fundamental for a good quality of life.

As some of you may know IRN-BRU have gone and launched a brand spanking new limited edition product, Fiery IRN-BRU. It’s a blend of traditional IRN-BRU with ginger, chilli and pepper that packs a real punch.

In essence its regular IRN-BRU cranked up a notch, something that doesn’t happen every day, so it followed that our creative brief was to create advertising that would shout about the new product from the rooftops using every drop of the brand’s brave, bold and maverick attitude.

Led by the campaign idea “Watch Your Mouth” developed by Mikey and Mark you’ll be seeing the attached 6 sheets and phone kiosk wraps popping up all over the place from today. If you’re in Glasgow do look out for a couple of extra special bus shelter wraps in George Square and Renfrew Street (and if you’re feeling kind take a few snaps).

And while you’re online today have a look at this rather excellent wee film written by Jordan and Dominique. You’ll never look at your grandad the same way again…

M & Co, one of the largest privately-owned fashion retailers in the UK, with nearly 300 stores nationwide, recently chose us to create a new TV campaign for their autumn and Christmas collection.

Andrew McGeoch, Director of Marketing and Business Development at M&Co said: “We’ve been talking to a number of agencies about creating a new campaign to promote M&Co over the key trading periods of autumn and Christmas. Leith created some ideas and have produced 2 commercials that will give a fresh new feel to our brand and give us a distinct position versus our competitors.”

Ed Brooke, Head of Leith said: “We’re delighted to be working with M&Co. They are one of the enduring success stories of the high street and we’re hoping that the work we’ve produced for them will help propel more people through their doors than ever before”.

The 30 second Autumn collection ad launched yesterday. It was directed by Hamish Allison and produced by Freakworks, Edinburgh.

It’s rare we have a vacancy at Leith. Most of the time when people phone us up looking for a job we have to put on our polite voice and tell them we’re not really looking at the moment.

But things are different right now. Because we do have an opening. A proper, bona fide, spare-desk-and-a-swivel-chair vacancy in the ideas garden known as The Leith Agency Creative Department. In fact, we’ve got two of them.

If you’re a middleweight team, that means you’re an Art Director and Copywriter who’ve been doing ads and stuff for about at least three years (it’s nothing to do with Chris Eubank). So if you want to work on some spanking-good briefs, email us at middleweightjob@leith.co.uk 

If you’re good, we’ll be in touch. If not… well, we’ll probably be in touch anyway, just to say thanks. In our polite voice, of course.

We were recently asked by the Dean and Cauvin Trust to help them win a National Lottery Good Causes Award for their work with vulnerable young people in Edinburgh.

They originally started assisting orphans on the Royal Mile way back in 1733, and currently work to prevent homelessness and the dangers which go with it, helping vulnerable young people to live independently and happily.

To help them continue their brilliant work by winning Lottery funding, we produced this short film to help spread the word. We’d massively appreciate it if you could take 30 seconds to vote for them here and spread this video far and wide via social networks, email and carrier pigeons.

The video was inspired by the excellent 500 People in 100 Seconds, and features the doubly excellent So Much For Love, by Gramatik (free download here).

During the period of time now known as the ‘ERA OF THE HOTDESK‘
we’ve come into contact with loads of talented, young creative types.

Some have come in on placement on the Hotdesk, some have come in for
work experience (on the Colddesk) to see what it’s all like. Some have even
got the bug and gone off to do creative advertising courses. Poor people.

Anyway, we’re launching another offshoot of the Hotdesk we call ‘Hotdesk Unlimited‘.

This is tapping into the young creative pool we’ve built up and giving them a chance to work on real live briefs and get paid.

The premise is simple:
- We post up a live creative challenges.
- They send us solutions before the deadline.
- The best solution get the cash prize.

We’ve just uploaded our first live challenge (worth £300 for the best solution) to create an identity for up-and-coming musician Plum. We’ve just sent it out to 60 young creatives.

You’re welcome to get involved. Simply sign up here.

And if this brief doesn’t float your boat, there’ll be more to come soon…

She’s the wastrel of the water, the nautical ne’er-do-well, the mischievous minx of yer’ marina. The Maid in Leith. For years she has lain her raven haired head down at the bottom of our fair Water o’ Leith biding her time, until now that is.

She’s about to become Leith’s most famous daughter and now that she is finally out the water she thinks it’s about time you were introduced to her golden hops not to mention her treasure chest.

Our Maid is a feisty little minx that stands for everything we know and love about Leith – she’s tough, she’s irresistible and she’s got mare charm than you can shake a Water of Leith fish at.

While it’s true she is a mucky mermaid that is used to swimming through the odd football and shopping trolley in our fair waters she’s decided she’s had more than enough, so she waddled over to us here at the Leith Agency and asked us to help her sell her wares. Together with Williams Brothers we’ve brewed up a fine golden hop that tastes glorious down by The Shore, especially when swallowed doon’ with a fish supper.

Now that her frothy hops are available for all to enjoy she’s asking that we pass over every penny we earn to The Water of Leith Conservation Trust so they can clean up her home as she says it’s starting tae nip her head. So any coin we do get we’ll fire right over to them who are gonna clean ‘er up fur her (and us.)

So, next time you’re out and about in the Leith locals grab yourself a bottle of our delicious ‘Maid in Leith’ brew and get yourself acquainted to the Maid’s treasure chest for yourself. You’ll be seeing it popping up in numerous reputable drinking establishments including The Wark, The Shore, Fishers, Roseleaf, Sofi’s, Beets and even Valvona & Crolla.

Sláinte. And don’t forget you can find out more on her very own website at MaidinLeith.com (artfully crafted by our friends over at Blonde), and keep up with the Maid’s saucy antics on Facebook and Twitter.

We are delighted to have picked up the Baxters Food Group accout after a competitive pitch. Baxters is just one of those fabric Scottish brands that we’ve always wanted to work on. And like other great Scottish fabric brands, it’s a fantastic export brand across the globe.

Look out for the new campaign launching in October of this year. In the meantime, get stuck into a tin of Wiltshire Ham and Sweetcorn Chowder or Luxury Broccoli, Stilton and Smoked Ayrshire Bacon – simply delicious.

The Bruzil campaign by Leith showed how Scotland could create a crack football team fit for the 2034 World Cup if the Scottish got it on with Brazilians.

Many congratulations to Chris Scott and David Grenfell in our creative dept and all those who helped deliver some Cannes glory in advance of the real thing in 2034.

Check out the Bruzil campaign overview for all the activity in all its glory.

It was an amazing night at the Marketing Society’s Star Awards.  Not only was Leith awarded Agency of the Year for another year, both Leith and Tangible won a clutch of Stars for their work on Knife Crime, Fire Safety and IRN-BRU and Organ Donation amongst others and (see the list below for details).

STRATEGIC STARS

Marketing Planning

Gold
The Leith Agency – No Knives Better Lives: communities winning the war on knife crime

Bronze
The Leith Agency – Don’t Give Fire a Home – Field Marketing Saves Lives

Social Marketing

Gold
Tangible Edinburgh – Capturing An Older Generation For The Organ Donor Register

The Leith Agency – Don’t Give Fire a Home: Field Marketing Saves Lives

Bronze
The Leith Agency – No Knives Better Lives: communities winning the war on knife crime

Sustainable Marketing

Silver
Tangible and Scottish Government – Knitting Together Communications For A More Energy Efficient Future

SECTOR STARS

Food & Drink

Gold
The Leith Agency – Just Like Watching Bruzil. (How Irn-Bru Made The Most Of The 2010 world cup.)

Cause Related & Charity

Silver
Tangible Edinburgh – Capturing An Older Generation For The Organ Donor Register

Public Sector

Gold
Tangible Edinburgh – Capturing An Older Generation For The Organ Donor Register

Silver
The Leith Agency – No Knives Better Lives: communities winning the war on knife crime

Bronze
The Leith Agency – Don’t Give Fire a Home – Field Marketing Saves Lives

COMMUNICATION STARS

Advertising & Media

Gold
The Leith Agency – No Knives; Better Lives: Communities winning the war on knife crime

Bronze
The Leith Agency – Diet Irn-Bru: How Spotting The Difference Drove Sales

Brand Activation & Event Marketing

Gold
The Leith Agency – Don’t Give Fire a Home – Field Marketing Saves Lives

INTEGRATED MARKETING

Gold
The Leith Agency – Just Like Watching Bruzil. (How Irn-Bru Made The Most Of The 2010 World Cup.)

Bronze
The Leith Agency – No Knives; Better Lives: Communities winning the war on knife crime
Tangible Edinburgh – How A Little Guy Can Make A Big Difference
Tangible Edinburgh – Building the Future

CREATIVITY & CRAFT

Art Direction

Silver
The Leith Agency – Deal or No Deal? How playing cards helped the Scottish Government win the war against cocaine

Creative Talent

Gold
The Leith Agency – David Grenfell, Steve Allsopp, Alfie Hayward, Chris Scott

CHAMPION STARS

Brightest Star

Gold
Tangible Edinburgh – Capturing an older generation for the Organ Donor Register

Star Agency of the Year

Gold
The Leith Agency