Theakston awards ad account to Talented

Theakston Ales has appointed Edinburgh-based agency Talented to handle its advertising.

Talented won the account, believed to be worth a six- figure sum, following a competitive pitch against unnamed agencies.

The brief for the agency will be to help raise the profile of the regional brand,

Family-owned Theakston, based in Masham, North Yorkshire, employs about 50 staff. The business is headed by Simon Theakston, a descendant of Robert, who began brewing in Masham in 1827. In 2003, the family bought back the company from Scottish & Newcastle, which had owned Theakston Ales since 1987.

Theakston produces five classic ales – Black Bull Bitter, Best Bitter, Old Peculier, Traditional Mild and XB. Rival brands include category leader Newcastle Brown, Old Speckled Hen and Fuller’s London Pride.

Talented also manages advertising for the Scottish National Party, the Army and Territorial Army, and Scottishjobs.com, an independent recruitment website north of the border.