THE owner of Irn-Bru has ended its partnership of nearly three decades with a Scottish marketing agency to go "in a new direction" with a London-based firm.
AG Barr has confirmed it will no longer work with The Leith Agency, based in Edinburgh, and has now moved its marketing contract to a London-based firm, Lucky Generals.
Since 1994, The Leith Agency has created several memorable adverts for Irn-Bru.
Many of the adverts celebrated Scottish humour, such as last summer's hit Mannschaft, which ran ahead of the Germany versus Scotland opener game in Euro 2024.
Fan-favourites also include Fanny, about the the naming of a baby, and the Electric Lady, which showed an elderly woman in a balaclava using her mobility scooter to rob a supermarket.
Ed Brooke, executive partner at The Leith Agency, said: “Leith and Irn-Bru has been a phenomenal partnership. Very few client-agency relationships last 29 years. And this one has been special. Together, we’ve created some famous work for a brand that truly deserves it – always pushing boundaries, always up for a laugh.
“They say all good things come to an end, but it won’t change the way we feel about Irn-Bru. It will always be a brand we love and will forever be a part of the Leith story. May your advertising always remain Original and Best.”
The move comes after Barr's long-serving chief executive, Roger White, stepped down last year.
Euan Sutherland, an Edinburgh-born executive, took up the helm. Sutherland has also run Superdry, the Co-op, and Saga, the insurer.
Lucy Henderson, AG Barr director of marketing, said: “We’ve had a long and successful relationship with The Leith Agency. However, as our business continues to grow and evolve, we took the decision to look at what a range of agencies could offer us.
“Following an incredibly competitive pitch process, we’ve decided to go in a new direction with the appointment of Lucky Generals, subject to contracts being completed. We’re confident that Lucky Generals will deliver creative work that embodies what people know and love about the brand for the next chapter of Irn-Bru.
“We’ll be working with Leith until the summer on some exciting campaigns as part of a smooth transition to the new agency. We’re immensely grateful to Leith for its talent, dedication and creativity, which has played a major role in the popularity of our campaigns for many years.”
Lucky Generals recently produced Yorkshire Tea Where everything’s done proper campaign featuring Sean Bean.
