LOOP doubled its headcount to 15 in 2024, its second year of trading while adding UK and international financial services brands to its client list.

Co-founded by Vicky Hope and Ed Vickers, LOOP specialises in building in-house creative agencies to deliver high-volume campaigns, utilising generative AI and the latest marketing technologies. A recent global survey by the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA) revealed that 66 per cent of international brands now have in-house marketing agencies.

Ms Hope previously held senior roles at Standard Life and was a partner at The&Partnership, leading NatWest Group’s in-house creative studio, with Mr Vickers being head of design and media at Standard Life Investments as well as various senior agency roles.

LOOP’s clients include Aberdeen, First Sentier Group, Franklin Templeton, Phoenix Group, Royal London Mutual Insurance Society Limited, Scottish Equity Partners, and Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society. New client wins during Q1 of 2025 include UK private bank Hampden & Co.

LOOP Agencies’ co-founders Ms Hope and Mr Vickers said: “From the start at LOOP, we have wanted to prioritise our people and put them first, encouraging a commercial approach to creativity, with a niche focus on regulated industries, to deliver exceptional results.”

Ms Hope added: “While we actively considered other options, including private equity and external acquisition interest, employee ownership was by far the best choice to live our people-first values.

“Research shows that employee-owned businesses have happier and more productive staff. Bringing enormous benefits to companies, employees and the wider economy. It’s a win-win for everyone.

“We set out to build a different type of agency, putting people and the new in-house approach to marketing at its core, now with the tangibility of employee ownership to fuel the next stage of growth and our legacy.”

Mr Vickers said: “To attract the new breed of multi-disciplined digital creators, they need to know that you have a truly vested and shared interest in them being integral to the future of the business. Our culture and values are front and centre, and we now have a stronger foundation for ongoing growth and expansion.”

LOOP plans to open an office in London in Q2 2025 to support its growing client base there and will be adding key hires in both Edinburgh and London.

Ms Hope added: “The London office allows us to grow our team there, which makes a lot of strategic sense given the dual location of many of our financial services clients.”

LOOP is also starting to work with other industries outside of financial services, and has a number of opportunities in the pipeline. Ms Hope said: “Regulated financial services brands will continue to be our main sector, but we’re also having some interesting conversations in other sectors, showing how transferable our approach to creative services is, including internationally.”

Mr Vickers added: “We are also putting a lot of focus on continuing to build our capabilities with generative AI, knowing it is fundamentally changing the way marketing content is going to be created and delivered.”

Legal firm Lindsays and EOT specialist Ownership Associates advised LOOP Agencies on the deal, which will be completed at the end of March.