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12 Best Advertising Agencies in the UK for 2024

Written by

Koba Molenaar

Last Updated: Oct 15, 2024

14 mins read

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A good ad remains one of the most effective ways to introduce consumers to your brand and its offering. Sure, you need to invest in other digital advertising strategies like social media management, affiliate marketing, and search engine optimization (SEO), etc. too, but there’s still a place for ads today.

In the same breath, it has to be acknowledged that ads are also one the most annoying “inventions”. Hence, why about one in every three Americans (31%) use an ad blocker.

To ensure that your ads entertain instead of annoy, try partnering with one of the following best UK advertising companies. They have the experience and experts to take care of this delicate task.

Importance of Advertising in Modern Business

Contrary to popular belief, ads aren’t there just to push a sale at every opportunity. With a solid digital strategy in place, advertising agencies can help their clients to achieve multiple goals like:

Improve brand (and product) awareness
Introduce a new product to the market
Differentiate itself from competitors
Promote an event
Grow brand loyalty
Increase market share

For a business to grow and reach its target audience, it needs to invest in advertising. Plus, if you opt for pay-per-click (PPC) advertising specifically, you can target your ads even more effectively to reach specific demographics. In addition to the loads of targeting options, some of the other benefits of PPC advertising include faster results (compared to a marketing strategy like SEO) and better tracking abilities.

Role of Advertising Agencies in Enhancing Campaign Effectiveness

You need more than an eye-catching advert to attract clicks. Advertising companies understand consumers. They’ve done extensive research and know what audiences want and where other competitors fall short.

Then, there’s the choice surrounding channels. Different formats generate better results on different channels. An advertising agency will be able to tweak your ad according to the subtle nuances of each platform.

Lastly, a reputable advertising company will have access to tools to track the effectiveness and the experience to analyze these numbers meaningfully. Based on their analysis, they know where to tweak the ad to improve the effectiveness of the campaign.

Why You Should Partner With an Advertising Agency in the UK

One of the major attractions of working with an advertising agency in the UK is the central location. As they’re located in the central time zone, it’s much easier to set up meeting times that fit into most schedules. Not only does it streamline communication, but it can also have a positive impact on productivity as the time waiting for feedback is reduced.

Advertising companies in the UK are also experienced at helping brands enter the European market. It can take a different strategy to appeal to European consumers, making working with a branding agency in London the better choice.

List of the Top 12 Advertising Agencies in the UK

Here’s our pick of the top advertising companies in the UK for 2024:

1. NinjaPromo

Website: https://ninjapromo.io/

Founded: 2017

Number of Employees: 51-200

You don’t need to take our word for it. Leading publications like Influencer Marketing Hub have shortlisted us as one of the best marketing agencies in the UK to hire.

Considering our cost-effective approach to advertising, it comes as no surprise (unlike the bill of some of the other advertising agencies). If your budget is as infinite as our curiosity, NinjaPromo can still be the advertising agency for you.

Key Services:

Industries Served:

Why Choose Us:

We take a personal approach. Communication is important to us.
We offer a flexible subscription model.

Best for: Fintech, crypto, and B2B businesses

Case Studies: View all case studies

Work with marketing experts in London and beyond

NinjaPromo is a top-rated advertising agency in the UK. We have a fully remote team of more than 100 marketing experts ready to strategize about content and channels.

Book a call

2. Droga5

Website: https://droga5.com/

Location: London | New York City | Tokyo | São Paulo | Dublin

Founded: 2006

Number of Employees: 501-1,000

Part of Accenture Song, Droga5 describes their creative agency as “creatively led, strategically driven, and humanity obsessed”. Culture and creativity play crucial roles in their approach.

Not only have they worked with leading, global brands that include the likes of Amazon, The Hershey Company, and Maserati, but their work has also landed recognition from leading publications. Both Ad Agency and Adweek have named them Agency of the Decade.

Key Services:

Campaign development
Content strategy and production
Media planning
Social and influencer marketing
Performance marketing
Communications planning
Design

Industries Served:

Food and beverage
Technology
Finance
Fashion
Automotive

Why Choose Them:

They have a huge team and offices in various locations across the globe.
They’ve won hundreds of awards.

Best for: Influential brands

Case Studies: View all case studies

3. We Are Social

Website: https://wearesocial.com/uk/

Location: 19 offices across the globe including offices in London, Paris, New York City, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Jakarta

Founded: 2008

Number of Employees: 1,300+

As the agency’s name suggests, their skills lie in social media. Their socially-led, creative agency understands the nuances of social behavior online.

From strategy to distribution, their team can assist every step of the way. Plus, they also have an in-house production division, We Are Social Studios, that can take care of content creation.

Key Services:

Competitor analysis and social audits
Campaign strategy
Creative campaign and concept development
Design
Branded content
Video and photography
Paid media management

Industries Served:

Food and beverage
Sports
eCommerce
Automotive
Entertainment
Technology
Non-profit
Fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG)

Why Choose Them:

They have offices across the world.
They can create content for all formats.

Best for: All things related to social media

Case Studies: View all case studies

4. VCCP

Website: https://www.vccp.com/

Founded: 2002

Number of Employees: 501-1,000

Challenger brands can check out VCCP. They’re an award-winning, fully integrated creative agency that’s known for innovative and exciting campaigns.

One of the agency’s unique selling points is that their team takes a more comprehensive approach. Driven by the belief that “it only works if it all works”, they ensure that everything is compelling, coherent, and cohesive.

Key Services:

Strategy
Experiential marketing
Media planning and buying
Public relations (PR)
Media outreach
Data-driven design
Employee engagement
Branding

Industries Served:

Food and beverage
Financial
Health
Automotive
Pharmaceutical
Telecommunications

Why Choose Them:

They can deliver results fast. They’ve helped a brand like O2 to become market leaders within only three years after their launch.
They extend their focus beyond simply advertising.

Best for: Challenger brands

Case Studies: View all case studies

5. Don’t Panic

Website: https://www.dontpaniclondon.com/

Location: London

Founded: Undisclosed

Number of Employees: 11-50

Businesses that want to communicate a deserving cause can check out Don’t Panic.

Named after the simple advice shared on Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy’s cover, Don’t Panic started out by sharing information on politics, underground art, and design.

Since their early days, it was clear that they’re an agency to keep tabs on with their very first ad winning a Gold Canned Lion. Fast-forward many years and they’ve bagged several other awards which include a Gold at the most recent Lovies.

Key Services:

Comprehensive audits of brand perceptions
Data-driven roadmap
Strategy execution
Media outreach
Performance monitoring
Community management
Branding

Industries Served:

Entertainment
Non-profit
Fashion
Telecommunications

Why Choose Them:

They include a collaborative research phase in their approach, ensuring that they really get to know your business and its niche.
They “stress test” ideas to ensure accurate representation.

Best for: Purpose-driven brands

Case Studies: View all case studies

6. Havas

Website: https://www.havas.com/

Location: In addition to London, Havas is located in dozens of cities across the world.

Founded: 1835

Number of Employees: 22,000+

Havas is a global communications group and global leader in marketing and communications. It’s a recognized digital marketing agency in London. In fact, according to their website, they’re regarded as the globe’s most integrated advertising and communications business.

One way that they’ve set themselves apart from other advertising companies is with their unique approach. They use what they like to call a “village model” to create seamless teams made up of professionals from all disciplines tailored to the individual needs of their clients.

Key Services:

Strategy
Data consulting
Programmatic buying
Performance marketing
Social media
Experiential marketing

Industries Served:

Food and beverage
Travel
Entertainment
Non-profit
Athletic apparel and footwear

Why Choose Them:

They’re part of Vivendi, a global leader in entertainment, culture, communications, and media, which enables them to help brands make a cultural impact.
They have a massive global footprint, making them a great choice if you want to incorporate international marketing strategies into your paid advertising campaigns.

Best for: Brands that want to make a cultural impact

Case Studies: View all case studies

7. Iris

Website: https://www.iris-worldwide.com/

Location: 14 offices across the world, including one in London

Founded: 1999

Number of Employees: 1,000+

Dubbed “The Participation Agency”, Iris leverages the power of people. Their approach is also based on combining creativity with data-driven media to build brands that are ready for the Participation Age.

They realized that paid media alone won’t get you far. In addition to advertising, they offer a host of other digital marketing services including augmented and virtual reality, email production, and user interface design.

Key Services:

Brand strategy
PR
Influencer marketing
Performance marketing
Experiential marketing
Workforce training

Industries Served:

Athletic apparel and footwear
Food and beverage
Automotive
Sports
Entertainment
Non-profit
Telecommunications

Why Choose Them:

They’ve received accolades from the likes of Cannes and Eurobest.
They’re part of the Cheil Connec+ group, giving them access to an even bigger global team with thousands of experts.

Best for: Bigger brands

Case Studies: View all case studies

8. Reload Digital

Website: https://www.reloaddigital.co.uk/

Location: London

Founded: 2010

Number of Employees: 11-50

Reload Digital describes themselves as an agile, growth-minded agency. If you’re struggling with the in-house versus marketing agency debate, rest assured that their advertising agency is happy to add their digital experts to your team, giving you the best of both worlds.

What sets them apart from other UK advertising agencies is their versatility. Not only do they have access to loads of data and tech, but they also offer more technical services like search engine optimization (SEO) and are a great choice if you’re searching for an SEO company in the UK to help your eCommerce store.

Key Services:

Paid search and social
Affiliate marketing
Email marketing
Customer relationship management
Content marketing
Creative design
Brand marketing

Industries Served:

Beauty and cosmetics
Home and living
Fashion and apparel
Direct to consumer (DTC)
Premium and luxury

Why Choose Them:

When you work with Reload Digital, you’ll have channel, category, and market experts assigned to your project.
They use their own proprietary frameworks based on 15 years’ experience working with hundreds of brands.

Best for: eCommerce brands

Case Studies: View all case studies

9. Grey

Website: https://www.grey.com/

Location: In addition to London, Grey has offices in numerous locations all across the world.

Founded: 1917

Number of Employees: 5,000-10,000

Along with Havas, Grey is one of the oldest advertising companies in the UK. Their mission — to create “Famously Effective ideas”. By combining data with these ideas, they improve the customer purchase experience across all platforms while at the same time turning brands into something truly remarkable.

One of the secret ingredients to their innovative ideas is cultural value. Using what matters to consumers, they’ll ensure that your business moves forward.

Key Services:

Communications strategy
Visual identity
Product design
Experience design
PR

Industries Served:

Healthcare
Automotive
Food and beverage
Travel
Entertainment
Pharmaceutical

Why Choose Them:

They’re part of the AKQA group, a global group of autonomous agencies.
They have won a bag full of awards, including being named Agency of the Year by Advertising Age as well as Adweek.

Best for: Influential brands

Case Studies: View all case studies

10. BBH Global

Website: https://www.bartleboglehegarty.com/

Founded: 1982

Number of Employees: 501-1,000

Bartle Bogle Hegarty (aka BBH Global) is an advertising agency that uses creativity to make brands more valuable. Their very first ad was for Levi’s and fast-forward three decades and they’re still working with global brands like Tesco and Audi.

Key Services:

Communications
CRM programmes
Brand blueprints
Conversions
Experience

Industries Served:

Automotive
Alcohol
Entertainment
Financial
FMCG
Health and beauty
Technology
Telecommunications

Why Choose Them:

They have over 40 years of experience.
They have won a bag full of awards, including being named Agency of the Year by Advertising Age as well as Adweek.

Best for: Brands that want to stand out

Case Studies: View all case studies

11. Wildfire

Website: https://www.agencywildfire.com/

Location: London | Frankfurt | Dubai

Founded: 2006

Number of Employees: 11-50

Unlike most of the other advertising agencies in the UK on this list, Wildfire takes a design-oriented approach. They describe themselves as a multidisciplinary design studio that transforms brands and redefines experiences.

Their team of specialist creatives are driven by a singular belief — the power of ideas. Using a four-stage working practice that starts with research and analysis and concludes with post-delivery examination, they create memorable brands and experiences.

Key Services:

Market analysis and research
Concept creation
Brand positioning, design and management
Print and collateral design
Content creation
Tech integration
Digital art direction

Industries Served:

Sports
Leisure
Real estate
Hospitality
Retail

Why Choose Them:

They follow a user-centric approach.
Their team of strategists, designers, and brand experts have years of experience working with global brands, making them a great choice if you’re also in need of a branding agency in London.

Best for: Food and beverage brands

Case Studies: View all case studies

12. The Social Shepherd

Website: https://thesocialshepherd.com/

Location: London | Bath | New York City

Founded: 2018

Number of Employees: 51-200

While The Social Shepherd has been in business for fewer years than many of the other advertising agencies, they already have multiple awards to show for their work. Most recently, they were named the Best Large Social Media Agency by the UK Social Media Awards 2023.

The Social Shepherd was created with the goal to focus on results, specifically return on investment. In addition to focusing on results, they also focus on their best expertise and biggest passions. As such, they’re excited about all the clients that they work with and will become an extension of your team.

Key Services:

Paid social and search
Influencer marketing
Social and creative strategy
Channel and community management
Social listening
Motion design, animation, and graphics

Industries Served:

Travel
Entertainment
Fashion
Jewelry
eCommerce
Skincare

Why Choose Them:

Their team consists of specialists. Whether it’s paid search or influencer marketing, you’ll be assigned a specialist team.
They’re agency partners with Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, and Google, meaning that clients will have access to unique insights and beta tests.
Included in their services are custom reporting that show how your paid media campaign performs on each channel.

Best for: All things related to social media

Case Studies: View all case studies

How to Choose the Right UK Advertising Agency

These 12 advertising agencies in the UK all have a proven track record (many of them also boast quite a collection of awards). To help you narrow down this shortlist further or evaluate other UK advertising agencies not included on this list, let the following factors guide you:

Years in the Industry: One of the first steps is to evaluate an ad agency based on the number of years they’ve been in business. Not only should they have experience in creating advertising campaigns, but they should also have worked with your industry specifically.
Tech Stack: While there’s no replacement for industry experience, agencies need to rely on tools and tech too. From analytics tools like Semrush to identify keywords for a paid media campaign to social media management tools like Buffer for social advertising, ask which solutions they use to improve the return on investment.
Regular Reporting: Any reputable advertising in the UK will keep you up to speed about your ad campaign’s performance. Ask about the frequency and the format. Ideally, it should include elements like charts or graphs that make data easy to digest.
Service Offering: Some agencies classify as a traditional ad agency, while others choose to offer a range of other marketing services. Full-service digital marketing agencies can ensure consistency in branding across various channels, not just the platforms used for paid ads. Enquire about which services they offer and how they’ll personalize it for your business.

Trends in the UK Advertising Industry in 2024

Artificial intelligence (AI) was one of the leading trends in 2023. Going forward, AI will continue to shape advertising and Gartner predicts that by 2025 30% of big organizations’ outbound messages will be generated synthetically.

That said, if you look at the global marketing trends that We Are Social (one of the advertising agencies on this list) identified, consumers will start to value real interactions even more. Sure, advertising agencies can leverage AI to streamline processes like analysis, but the end result must be raw. It must look like the creative design was created by an actual human.

Adding to that, consumers will also crave more personalized ads. Whether it’s through a personalized promotion or exclusive early access to improved customer support, advertising agencies will need to find a way to make their campaigns more personal.

Elevate Your Business with NinjaPromo: Advertising That Works!

The NinjaPromo team can create custom ad campaigns that match your brand, helping you to the best ROI for your ads. Using a step-by-step process, the process gets kicked off with identifying the right target audience for your business and its offering. Then, to ensure maximum exposure, our team will also research the best marketing platforms.

The work doesn’t stop there and we’ll continue to keep tabs on how your ads campaign performs. Where needed, we’ll make improvements and our weekly report will also keep you up to speed with the performance.

Looking to discover top agencies in other industries? Check out our other top agency lists:

FAQs

An advertising agency (simply called ad agency or sometimes referred to as a creative agency) provides a wide range of services to help businesses raise brand awareness and sell their services or products. These services are mostly creative, but can also include market research and strategic planning, for example. Traditional ad agencies concentrate mostly on ad methods like TV and print, while full-service ad agencies can extend their scope to digital marketing too.

The main job of advertising agencies is to plan, create and implement ad campaigns. They could also take care of other marketing-related tasks like social media management, branding, media planning and buying, graphic design, and content creation.

Businesses of all sizes can benefit from hiring an advertising company. Small businesses without an in-house marketing team in particular should consider using an ad agency.

NinjaPromo has happy clients across multiple industries

Whether your startup, small eCommerce business, or an established name in the B2B space, NinjaPromo has a growing list of clients across various verticals. Some of the other industries that we serve include fintech, crypto, and gaming. During the six years that we’ve been in business, we’ve created powerful assets that capture attention and inspire action.

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