Leith wins Scottish smoking ban brief

by Noel Bussey, Campaign 29-Apr-05, 15:26

The Leith Agency has been appointed by the Scottish Executive to develop a Scotland-wide campaign to promote the proposed legislation to ban smoking in public places.

The agency was appointed following an eight-way pitch between all advertising agencies on the Scottish Executive's roster. The others are: Newhaven, Family, Barkers, The Union, The Bridge, 1576 and Citigate Smarts.

The legislation for Smoke- Free Enclosed Public Places is currently before the Scottish Parliament. If it is passed, it will receive Royal Assent in the summer and become law in March 2006.

The agency's brief is to create a general public-awareness campaign to inform businesses, employees and members of the public about the change in the law.

The campaign will include outdoor, press, radio and TV and will break in February next year, one month before the law is due to change.

"This is hugely important and a very high-profile campaign for us because we have to reach 100 per cent of the population," Richard Marsham, the director of account management at Leith, said. "Our research for the pitch shows that 52 per cent of Scottish businesses still allow people to smoke somewhere on the premises. We will have our work cut out for us."

Two areas of particular focus will be the hospitality and pub industries, which will be the most heavily affected.

Leith has previously worked with the Scottish Executive on two awareness campaigns, on the issues of fire safety and drugs.

"This is the most important piece of legislation in Scotland for years and Leith demonstrated the ability to produce a campaign to match the enormity of the change," Roger Williams, the head of marketing at the Scottish Executive, said.

"The campaign will have to strike a chord with the entire population, so it will not be an easy task."