The聽Scottish Advertising Parliamentary Reception, hosted by AA Scotland,聽took place on 7 October 2025 in the Garden Lobby, sponsored by Daniel聽Johnson MSP,聽Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Business, Economy and Fair Work.
The reception gathered AA Scotland members and wider industry, and celebrated the brilliant work produced by the agencies, production companies, marketers and media professionals in Scottish聽advertising.
Stephen Woodford, CEO, began by highlighting how the Advertising Pays 2025 report by Credos found that advertising聽plays a vital role in Scotland’s economy, culture and communities by contributing 拢6.4bn in GVA and directly employing 28,000 people in Scotland alone.
Daniel Johnson MSP praised聽the contribution of the advertising industry, saying 鈥渢here is no doubt the聽creative industry has an impact that goes far beyond a normal industry鈥�. He also spoke about the importance of having a skills and education system聽that understands the skills that people need to work in the 21st聽century economy too.
He concluded by reflecting that both politicians and people working in advertising should work together on how to truly unlock the potential of Brand Scotland, stressing the importance of the creative industries聽to communicating the strengths and opportunities Scotland can offer on the world stage.
Our聽new report ‘Unlocking Apprenticeships’聽was also highlighted, outlining how a reformed levy can best benefit companies and apprentices, including those based in Scotland.
A big thank you to our partner Ozone and to all those who attended!
Photo Credit: Euan Cherry
