New accolade for The Union Group
Union Direct, part of Edinburgh-based The Union Group, has been ranked joint 72nd in The Drum’s Indie 100 2026, the publication's global ranking of leading independent agencies, which it revealed in September.
It is one of only two Scottish agencies on the list, which features independents from around the world. More than 40 UK agencies made the cut, with over half based in London.
This year's ranking used a new, performance-based methodology, combining results in The Drum's World Creative Rankings, success at The Drum Awards and verified client ratings from The Drum Recommends:
"Brave, brilliant work doesn't need a London postcode," said Emma Campbell, executive board director at The Union Group:
"Being ranked alongside some of the most respected independents in the world is a genuine honour. It means more because of how the list was built: on the work, the awards and what clients say about us. That's the standard our team sets itself on every project, for clients such as Lloyds Banking Group, Greene King, schuh, VisitScotland and ScottishPower."
She added: "Independent agencies are having a moment, and it's not hard to see why. Without the layers and compromises that often come with scale, indies move faster and are more willing to take the creative risks that get work noticed.”
Emma concluded: "Scotland has a habit of underselling itself, of assuming the best creative thinking happens somewhere else. We've never bought that.
“Scottish agencies belong on the same shortlists as the usual suspects, and we want to make that case loudly. This should be the start of something, not a one-off. We intend to keep proving it, one brief at a time."
The Union Group, which launched in 1996, became 100 per cent employee-owned through an employee-ownership trust in May 2025. It employs 84 people.
Pictured: Emma Campbell, executive board director at The Union Group
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