New Commercial Arts opens Glasgow office with focus on customer experience

New Commercial Arts has opened an office in Scotland as it builds on a relationship it has been developing with The Glasgow School of Art.

The one-year-old London agency has forged links with the Scottish art institution because of its highly regarded courses in product design and innovation, which spurred on the talent-led move.

The new operation will focus on customer experience innovation, digital prototyping and non-traditional design briefs, and complements NCA’s established CX team based in London.

Rob Curran, CX lead and co-founder of NCA, said: “It’s healthy to be less London-centric and this is very much about working with some exceptional and versatile talent.”

NCA Glasgow starts operations with seven staff, which includes three graduates of the product design course at The Glasgow School of Art’s Innovation School. There are also several freelancers.

The new office is located in The Briggait, a former fish market hall, in the Saltmarket area of Glasgow that also houses other creative and arts-based organisations.

NCA was set up in May 2020 by Adam & Eve founders James Murphy and David Golding, alongside Ian Heartfield, formerly chief creative officer of Bartle Bogle Hegarty London, and Curran, formerly chief experience officer of Wunderman Thompson.

Its latest win came earlier this month when NCA was appointed by Alzheimer’s Society to support the charity for a brand refresh.

The start-up agency’s client list includes Lloyds Banking Group, Vodafone and Moneysupermarket.

NCA’s main office is on Beak Street in London’s Soho, where it employs about 35 people.

Under Murphy and Golding’s leadership, Adam & Eve sold to DDB and opened an office in New York in 2016 but the London agency never expanded outside the capital in the UK.