MadeBrave cheers bumper client win with brands including Tennent's and Magners

A Glasgow-based creative brand agency has toasted the signing of a major drinks account as it revealed turnover more than doubled last year.

MadeBrave chief Andrew Dobbie praised the group's overseas client growth. Picture: contributed

MadeBrave has secured a contract with the Dublin-headquartered C&C Group which will see it serve high-profile beer and cider brands including Tennent’s, Heverlee, Orchard Pig, Menabrea, Magners and Pabst Blue Ribbon.

The branding, creative tech and digital marketing group announced the key business win as it unveiled revenues grew by more than 100 per cent to just under £2.8 million in the year to 31 April.

MadeBrave is forecasting a further jump in turnover to £4m in the current financial year thanks to rapid expansion, as it seeks to boost its 43-strong headcount and grow operations across its Glasgow, Edinburgh and London offices.

Chief executive Andrew Dobbie, who founded the agency in 2012, said: “The C&C account represents one of our biggest and most exciting wins to date. More importantly, we get to work with a great team and a fantastic stable of exciting brands.”

Duncan Frew, commercial and marketing director at C&C Group, which manufactures, markets and distributes branded alcoholic and soft drinks across the UK and Ireland, added: “It’s an exciting time as we continue to grow our brands throughout the UK, and we are delighted to be partnering with MadeBrave on the journey.”

MadeBrave last year created holding company BornOriginal Group following the acquisition of Edinburgh-based content production firm Campfire, in a strategic move to support the pair’s target of securing further international business wins.

Campfire founder Lewis Phillips and MadeBrave’s chief operating officer Stephen Weir both joined the group’s board as directors and co-owners, with Phillips remaining in position as chief executive of Campfire.

The acquisition of the Edinburgh-based agency added film production and motion graphics capabilities to the agency, with the firm recently completing shooting a global band film for Hard Rock Hotels in Tenerife, as well as bolstering its brand, tech and marketing capabilities.

Dobbie said: “We’ve made a step change over the last twelve months in terms of the international business we’ve added to the group.

“Having Campfire as part of the family has been transformational for MadeBrave and we’ve doubled our studio space in Edinburgh to accommodate growth for Campfire.

“We’re also growing the team in London and are currently looking at a new studio space in Glasgow that is double the current size as we plan our next phase of growth for MadeBrave.”

The group scooped one of its largest contract wins to date in July 2018 when it was appointed sole creative partner for First Bus Scotland, owned by Aberdeen-headquartered transport giant FirstGroup.

The contract covered advertising, brand and marketing activity across First Bus Scotland’s three operating companies in Glasgow, Scotland East and Aberdeen.

MadeBrave’s client portfolio also includes William Grant & Sons, IBM, the BBC, Scottish Equity Partners, Jacobs and MetFilm School London.