A Creative Agency Rooted in Edinburgh, Reaching Far Beyond

Thistle Creative Agency was founded in 2015 by a small group of designers and strategists who had grown restless inside larger London agencies. They wanted to build something different: a studio where creative work was not dictated by hierarchy or formulaic processes, but shaped by honest collaboration and a deep respect for the craft. They chose Edinburgh, a city whose cultural energy and relative intimacy offered both inspiration and breathing room.

What began as a three-person operation working from a converted warehouse in Leith has since grown into a team of around 45, occupying a bright, open studio near the Shore. The agency has built a reputation for brand identity work that feels considered rather than fashionable, campaigns that speak to real audiences rather than award juries, and a client roster that spans hospitality, arts, fintech, and public sector organisations across Scotland and the wider UK.

What Thistle Actually Does

At its core, Thistle is a branding and communications agency. They work with organisations at every stage, from early-stage startups figuring out their voice to established institutions seeking to reconnect with shifting audiences. Their output includes visual identity systems, campaign strategy, digital content, copywriting, web design, and film. But the agency resists defining itself by deliverables alone.

Co-founder and Creative Director, Eilidh Morrow, has described the agency's philosophy in straightforward terms.

"We are not in the business of making things look nice. We are in the business of making things make sense. A beautiful logo attached to a confused strategy helps no one. We start with clarity, and the aesthetics follow from that."

This approach has attracted clients who value substance. The agency's work for Edinburgh-based fintech firm Cairn Pay, for example, involved a full rebrand that began not with mood boards but with six weeks of stakeholder interviews and market research. The resulting identity was clean and confident, but more importantly, it communicated the company's proposition in a way that resonated with both investors and everyday users.

The Culture Inside the Studio

Thistle's internal culture reflects its external philosophy. There is a strong emphasis on thinking before doing, on asking the right questions before committing to a direction. Team members are expected to be curious, to challenge assumptions constructively, and to take ownership of their work without needing constant supervision.

The agency operates with a relatively flat structure. While there are senior leads in design, strategy, and communications, day-to-day work is organised around project teams that shift depending on the brief. A junior designer might find themselves presenting directly to a client alongside a senior strategist. A copywriter might lead a campaign from concept through to delivery. This fluidity is intentional and, by most accounts, genuinely practised rather than simply aspirational.

Working hours are taken seriously in a different way than at many agencies. Thistle has a stated commitment to avoiding the burnout cycles that plague the creative industry. Late nights happen, but they are treated as exceptions rather than badges of honour. The agency closes entirely for a week each December, in addition to standard holiday allowances.

Edinburgh as a Creative Base

The agency's location is not incidental to its identity. Edinburgh's creative scene, while smaller than London's, is tightly knit and unusually collaborative. Thistle has deep connections with the city's festivals, arts organisations, and independent businesses. They have designed identities for Edinburgh Fringe venues, produced campaigns for Scottish tourism bodies, and collaborated with local illustrators, photographers, and filmmakers on nearly every major project.

Several team members have noted that working in Edinburgh offers a quality of life that larger cities struggle to match, without sacrificing the quality of the work. Clients in London, Manchester, and beyond seem to agree. Roughly half of Thistle's revenue now comes from outside Scotland, a proportion that has grown steadily since 2019.

Growth Without Losing the Thread

Thistle has grown carefully. The agency has turned down acquisition offers and resisted the temptation to open satellite offices before they felt ready. Their focus for the next few years is on deepening their capabilities in digital experience design and expanding their in-house film production team, while continuing to refine the brand strategy work that remains their foundation.

They are also investing in their own people. A mentoring programme pairs junior staff with experienced creatives from outside the agency, and Thistle sponsors places on industry courses for team members each year. The goal, as Morrow puts it, is to build a team of people who could work anywhere but choose to work here.

For those considering a move to Thistle, the appeal is clear: meaningful work, a thoughtful environment, and the chance to grow inside an agency that genuinely values the people who make it what it is. The studio in Leith is not flashy, but it is serious about its craft, and that seriousness runs through everything they do.