Leith wins First ScotRail ad account

Train operator First ScotRail has appointed Edinburgh based The Leith Agency to handle its multi-million-pound advertising business.

The agency won the account following a formal pitch against a number of Scottish agencies, with a shortlist confirmed last month.

The process was handled by the AAR and is believed to have included Scottish ad agencies The Union and 1576 Advertising.

Last year the rail operator secured a deal with Viacom Outdoor enabling it to wrap entire trains in advertising for the first time (MW December 7, 2006).

The deal enables advertisers to brand individual trains, with Viacom seeking to sign up prospective advertisers on a 12-month contract basis. The trains will run on the main intercity routes around Scotland, including Glasgow to Edinburgh, Glasgow to Aberdeen and Glasgow to Inverness.

First ScotRail has previously piloted a scheme allowing just one carriage to be wrapped with advertising.

First ScotRail is part of FirstGroup, which also runs First Great Western, TransPennine Express and Hull Trains. FirstGroup successfully bid for the ScotRail franchise in October 2004, a process driven by First ScotRail managing director Mary Dickson, who previously worked in FirstGroup’s London offices.

The rail operator, which was named UK Public Transport Operator of the Year at the National Transport Awards last summer, has committed to deliver a £40m programme of improvements for its customers.