Get to know these branding, design and digital studios in Edinburgh
Deciding on which part of the industry you’d like to work in is one thing, but knowing where to find relevant and inspiring workplaces is another. And with so many creative companies across the UK, expanding your knowledge of who’s out there can certainly give you a leg up. So every few weeks, we’ll be helping you discover new studios, agencies and more by highlighting a range of them up and down the British isles. This week, we’re off to the Scottish capital, Edinburgh!
Whether you’re passionate about film, music, comedy, literature or anything in between, there’s bound to be a scene for you in Edinburgh. Long known as a cultural capital, the city draws talent from all over the world for its multidisciplinary arts and culture festivals – from its famous Fringe, to the Edinburgh International Festival and a globally-recognised Book Festival, one of the largest of its kind.
The city is also undergoing a rejuvenation of its creative, cultural and arts clusters. On its waterfront, the disused Granton railway station is being transformed into a vibrant creative and community hub, offering business development opportunities, exhibition space and workshops to emerging creative entrepreneurs. The University of Edinburgh’s Futures Institute even offers a degree dedicated to understanding and advancing the city and country’s creative industries.
Edinburgh’s thriving creative and cultural scene means it’s also home to a growing set of creative studios. Here, we’ve compiled 13 of them for you to check out – with specialisms ranging from advertising and digital to branding, web and marketing. Scroll down to explore them all!
1. LBD Studio
Identity for weatherproof fabric brand Halley Stevensons
Print design for Oslo Street Art Tours
Identity for mental health charity Back Onside
Digital for Edinburgh World Heritage’s exhibition, Heritage for People
Specialism: Visual Identity, Design
Company Size: 2-10
Strategic brand consultancy LBD Studio specialises in visual identity and design systems, collaborating with business owners to build value and drive growth. Clients include weatherproof fabric brand Halley Stevensons, organic woodworker Max McCance and mental health charity Back Onside.
Read more about LBD Studio here or check out their Instagram
2. Monumentum
Work for Scottish Seabird Centre
Tone of voice for animation studio Interference Pattern
Illustration palette for guest self-service platform QikServe
Work for EdTech company Gecko
Specialism: Branding
Company Size: 2-10
Monumentum is a brand consultancy that seeks to design and build identities for brands to inspire action. The consultancy’s roster of clients include bank NatWest Group, Giants Basalt Rock Gin and EdTech company Gecko.
Read more about Monumentum here or check out their Instagram
3. Touch
Campaign for Edinburgh International Festival
Brand direction for Holyrood Distillery
Identity for cultural public space Fruitmarket
Identity for Lynsay Bell Architecture
Specialism: Design
Company Size: 2-10
Touch is an independent design studio specialising in design, direction and ideas. Offering services from brand identity to print design and website projects, their clients include Edinburgh International Film Festival, strategic communications agency Charlotte Street Partners and architectural practice Studio Awa.
4. Interference Pattern
Animation and VFX for CBeebies
CGI for production company Passion Pictures Australia
VFX for a Scottish Government campaign
Animation for Cono Snacks
Specialism: Animation, VFX
Company Size: 11-50
Interference Pattern is a creative animation studio specialising in animation and visual effects. Offering a wide range of services – from 2D animation, character-based 3D animation to photorealistic VFX, the studios clients include the Scottish Government, the BBC, as well as the broadcaster’s kids channel CBeebies.
Read more about Interference Pattern here or check out their Instagram
5. The Union
Work for Len’s Self Storage
Packaging for coffee roaster Matthew Algie
Branding for fundraising tour operator Choose a Challenge
Work for Worldwide Cancer Research
Specialism: Advertising, Digital
Company Size: 51-200
Based in Edinburgh and Leeds, The Union is an advertising and digital agency working with clients both nationally and internationally. Driven by research, the agency turns its clients’ challenges into communications ideas through advertising, website design, social media management, customer journey design and brand consulting.
6. Contagious
Work for Absolut Vodka
Work for Bladnoch Distillery’s ready-to-drink cocktail, Pure Scot
Work for Courageous Spirits’ King’s Inch whiskey
Work for tequila brand Maestro Dobel
Specialism: Brand Communication, Digital, Experiential Design
Company Size: 11-50
Contagious is a brand agency specialising in creative work for drinks brands. Helping established brands maintain and grow their market position, as well as new brands to find their foothold, the agency’s roster of clients include Ardnahoe Distillery, Courageous Spirits and Shiner Brewery.
Read more about Contagious here or check out their Instagram
7. Story
Work for builders store chain Jewson
Packaging for soft drink brand Irn-Bru
Campaign for sauce brand Crucials
Work for NHS Scotland
Specialism: Advertising, Branding, Digital
Company Size: 51-200
With studios in Edinburgh, Birmingham and Newcastle, Story is a creative agency offering services across advertising, brand development and digital. Working across a range of sectors – from automotive, retail and charity, to healthcare and food and drink – the agency’s clients include retailer Halfords, sauce brand Crucials and NHS Scotland.
8. Firefly
Iconography for the Scottish Human Rights Commission
Website design for online boutique Amiramour
Infographic leaflet for the Royal College of Nursing
Animation for Cancer Innovation Challenge
Specialism: Creative, Branding, Digital
Company Size: 2-10
Firefly is a creative, branding and digital design agency offering its clients a broad range of creative services – from website design and advertising, to design for print and video production. Clients include talent search firm H. W. Anderson, international British education provider My Online Schooling and online boutique Amiramour.
9. The Lane Agency
Rebranding for vegan and gluten-free bakery Lazy Day
Work for Edinburgh Airport
Brand campaign for seafood company Mowi
Campaign for Simon Howie butchers
Specialism: Digital, Media, Advertising, Content, Branding, Design
Company Size: 11-50
The Lane Agency is a creative and media outfit specialising in digital, media, advertising, content, branding and design. Offering services such as website design, press, advertising strategy, brand identity and content marketing, the agency’s clients include fashion brand Fairfax & Favor, Edinburgh Airport and oatcake brand Nairn’s.
Read more about The Lane Agency here or check out their Instagram
10. Hillside
Brand development for theatre, cinema and arts venue Eden Court
Creative campaign for The National Library of Scotland
Visual identity for loan funding provider Social Investment Scotland’s SIS Ventures
Visual identity for writing charity Scottish Pen
Specialism: Design, Visual Identity
Company Size: 2-10
Hillside is a design agency offering a range of services including visual identity, website design, advertising campaigns and illustrations. The agency works with everyone from business start-ups and famous brands, to charities and large-scale festivals, with clients including TweedLove Bike Festival, PR agency The Corner Shop and the Irish Writers Centre.
11. Leith
Work for spirits company Edrington
Digital work for Nando’s
Social media for Brand Scotland
Work for soft drink brand Irn-Bru
Specialism: Creative
Company Size: 51-200
Based in Edinburgh and Manchester, Leith is a creative agency delivering services ranging from advertising, design and digital, to experiential and production. Clients include soft drink brand Irn-Bru, the Scottish Government and Nando’s.
12. StudioLR
Mini campaign for Jura Whisky
Marketing campaign for National Galleries of Scotland
Merchandise for The Mary Rose Museum
Identity development for Scottish care system initiative, Independent Care Review
Specialism: Creative
Company Size: 11-50
From strategy through to execution, StudioLR is a creative agency that works with marketers and leaders to build brands and campaigns. Helping clients across all sectors – including car manufacturers, departmental stores and museums – the agency offers services such as strategy, creative, design and copy.
13. Elastic Creative
Work for cake delivery service Cake Stories
Branding for not-for-profit mental health centre The Next Chapter
Web design for architectural practice Keppie
Branding for workspace Water’s Edge
Specialism: Branding, Design, Marketing
Company Size: 2-10
Elastic Creative is a branding agency specialising in branding, design and marketing. Offering a wide range of services – from brand identity, user experience and content creation, to email marketing and animation, the agency’s roster of clients include NHS Lanarkshire, asset management company Vercity and cake delivery service Cake Stories.
Read more about Elastic Creative here or check out their Instagram
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To browse more creative companies across the UK, head to over to our Company Listings page, a growing directory of creative companies across the UK: