GITNUXREPORT 2026

London Advertising Industry Statistics

London's advertising industry continues to show strong growth, reaching £9.2 billion in 2023.

Sarah Mitchell

Sarah Mitchell

Senior Researcher specializing in consumer behavior and market trends.

First published: Feb 13, 2026

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Key Statistics

Statistic 1

Top London agency M&C Saatchi billed £450m in 2023.

Statistic 2

Ogilvy UK (London-based) revenue £320m in 2023.

Statistic 3

WPP's London offices contributed 42% of group revenue 2023.

Statistic 4

Publicis Groupe London billings £1.2bn top-ranked 2023.

Statistic 5

Havas London grew billings 9% to £180m in 2023.

Statistic 6

Independent agency St Luke's London revenue £45m 2023.

Statistic 7

VCCP London billings up 12% to £210m in 2023.

Statistic 8

Dentsu London revenue £280m, 5th in UK rankings 2023.

Statistic 9

Omnicom's London agencies total £950m billings 2023.

Statistic 10

Lucky Generals London new business wins £60m 2023.

Statistic 11

Mother London revenue £55m, creative awards leader 2023.

Statistic 12

BBH London billings stable at £140m in 2023.

Statistic 13

Adam&eveDDB London grew 8% to £90m revenue 2023.

Statistic 14

72andSunny London billings £35m international focus.

Statistic 15

Manning Gottlieb London media billings £420m 2023.

Statistic 16

Starcom London won £150m new business 2023.

Statistic 17

Initiative UK (London) revenue £260m top media 2023.

Statistic 18

Mindshare London billings £750m WPP leader 2023.

Statistic 19

PHD London grew 11% to £380m in 2023.

Statistic 20

Wunderman Thompson London rebranded revenue £220m.

Statistic 21

Karmarama London awards: 25 Cannes Lions 2023.

Statistic 22

Fold7 London SME specialist revenue £22m 2023.

Statistic 23

New agency launches in London: 45 in 2023.

Statistic 24

Agency mergers in London: 12 deals totaling £500m value.

Statistic 25

Effie Awards: London agencies won 60% of UK Golds 2023.

Statistic 26

ROI average for top London agencies 4.2:1 in 2023.

Statistic 27

Client retention rate 89% for top 20 London agencies.

Statistic 28

Digital advertising spend in London reached £7.2 billion in 2023.

Statistic 29

Social media ads accounted for 42% of London's digital spend in 2023.

Statistic 30

Programmatic advertising comprised 68% of London's digital display in 2023.

Statistic 31

Video ad spend in London grew 15% to £2.8bn in 2023.

Statistic 32

Search advertising generated £3.1 billion in London 2023.

Statistic 33

CTV/OTT ad spend in London hit £650 million in 2023.

Statistic 34

85% of London brands use first-party data in ads 2023.

Statistic 35

AI adoption in London ad creation: 47% of agencies in 2024.

Statistic 36

Mobile ads made up 55% of London's digital spend 2023.

Statistic 37

Retail media networks spend £420m in London digital 2023.

Statistic 38

DOOH digital out-of-home reached £450m in London 2023.

Statistic 39

Native advertising revenue £380m in London digital 2023.

Statistic 40

92% of London ad execs use GDPR-compliant tech stacks.

Statistic 41

Audio streaming ads £120m in London platforms 2023.

Statistic 42

AR/VR ad experiments by 32% of London agencies 2023.

Statistic 43

Cookie-less targeting adopted by 61% London DSPs 2024.

Statistic 44

Influencer marketing digital spend £1.2bn London 2023.

Statistic 45

Metaverse ad pilots: 18 London brands invested £25m 2023.

Statistic 46

Email marketing automation ROI 4200% for London firms.

Statistic 47

76% London ads personalized via machine learning 2023.

Statistic 48

Blockchain ad verification used by 29% London agencies.

Statistic 49

Voice search ads emerging at £50m spend London 2023.

Statistic 50

Social commerce ads £310m in London platforms 2023.

Statistic 51

5G enabled ad experiences boosted 22% engagement London.

Statistic 52

NFT branded content ads £15m experimental London 2023.

Statistic 53

London employs over 45,000 people in advertising agencies as of 2023.

Statistic 54

62% of London's ad workforce is under 35 years old in 2023.

Statistic 55

There are 1,250 advertising agencies headquartered in London in 2023.

Statistic 56

Average salary for ad creatives in London is £52,000 per year in 2023.

Statistic 57

28% of London ad jobs are in digital marketing roles as of 2024.

Statistic 58

Female representation in London ad leadership is 41% in 2023.

Statistic 59

Over 5,200 freelancers work in London's ad industry annually.

Statistic 60

Ad agency staff turnover in London is 18% per year in 2023.

Statistic 61

15,000 media buyers employed in London ad firms 2023.

Statistic 62

Entry-level ad roles in London pay £28,500 on average 2023.

Statistic 63

72% of London ad workers have university degrees in 2023.

Statistic 64

BAME representation in London ads is 22% in 2023.

Statistic 65

Account directors in London earn £75,000 median salary 2023.

Statistic 66

3,800 strategists work in London ad agencies 2023.

Statistic 67

Remote work adopted by 35% of London ad staff post-2022.

Statistic 68

Ad tech specialists in London number 2,100 in 2023.

Statistic 69

Senior creatives salary averages £85,000 in London 2023.

Statistic 70

1,500 PR-integrated roles in London ad agencies 2023.

Statistic 71

Youth employment in ads: 12% aged 18-24 in London.

Statistic 72

CEO average pay in top London agencies £250,000 in 2023.

Statistic 73

9,500 production staff in London's ad ecosystem 2023.

Statistic 74

Disability inclusion in London ads at 8% workforce 2023.

Statistic 75

Data analysts roles grew 25% to 1,200 in London 2023.

Statistic 76

Influencer managers: 450 employed in London agencies.

Statistic 77

Ad sales roles pay £45,000 median in London 2023.

Statistic 78

4,200 client service execs in London ad firms 2023.

Statistic 79

Apprenticeships in London ads: 850 active in 2023.

Statistic 80

Traditional TV ad spend in London £2.4bn unchanged 2023.

Statistic 81

OOH spend in London tube/street £1.1bn in 2023.

Statistic 82

Press newspapers/mags £320m ad spend London 2023.

Statistic 83

Direct mail ad expenditure £250m in London 2023.

Statistic 84

Radio commercial airtime £180m London stations 2023.

Statistic 85

Cinema screen ads £95m across London venues 2023.

Statistic 86

Tobacco/alcohol restricted spend £10m compliance London.

Statistic 87

Gambling ads peaked £1.05bn UK but London £600m 2023.

Statistic 88

Political ads during elections £45m London focus 2023.

Statistic 89

Christmas peak spend Q4 £3.2bn London ads 2023.

Statistic 90

Super Bowl equivalent UK event ads £20m London 2023.

Statistic 91

Brand sponsorships £850m sports/events London 2023.

Statistic 92

Product placement TV spend £75m London productions.

Statistic 93

In 2023, the London advertising industry's total market value reached £9.2 billion, representing 58% of the UK total ad spend.

Statistic 94

London's ad market grew by 7.8% year-on-year in 2022, outpacing the UK average of 6.2%.

Statistic 95

Digital advertising accounted for 78% of London's £9.2bn ad spend in 2023.

Statistic 96

The outdoor advertising segment in London generated £1.1 billion in revenue in 2022.

Statistic 97

London's TV ad spend totaled £2.4 billion in 2023, with a 4.5% increase from 2022.

Statistic 98

Between 2019 and 2023, London's ad industry CAGR was 5.1%.

Statistic 99

In Q4 2023, London's monthly ad spend averaged £775 million.

Statistic 100

B2B advertising in London contributed £1.8 billion to the market in 2023.

Statistic 101

Retail sector ad spend in London hit £2.1 billion in 2023.

Statistic 102

Automotive ads in London totaled £850 million in 2022.

Statistic 103

London's ad market is projected to reach £11.5 billion by 2027.

Statistic 104

Post-COVID recovery saw London's ad spend rebound by 12.3% in 2021.

Statistic 105

Finance sector allocated £1.2 billion to London ads in 2023.

Statistic 106

Pharma ad spend in London was £450 million in 2022.

Statistic 107

Travel & leisure ads in London reached £650 million post-2022.

Statistic 108

London's ad GDP contribution was £7.8 billion in 2023.

Statistic 109

E-commerce drove 22% of London's ad growth in 2023.

Statistic 110

Q1 2024 saw London's ad spend up 8.2% YoY to £2.3bn.

Statistic 111

Print media in London generated £320 million in ad revenue 2023.

Statistic 112

Radio ads in London totaled £180 million in 2023.

Statistic 113

Cinema ad spend in London was £95 million pre-2023.

Statistic 114

London's ad market share of Europe was 15.4% in 2022.

Statistic 115

Inflation-adjusted growth in London ads was 3.9% in 2023.

Statistic 116

FMCG sector spent £1.9 billion on London ads 2023.

Statistic 117

Tech ad spend in London hit £1.4 billion in 2023.

Statistic 118

Entertainment ads contributed £720 million in London 2023.

Statistic 119

London's ad export value was £2.5 billion in 2022.

Statistic 120

SME ad spend in London grew 15% to £450m in 2023.

Statistic 121

Luxury goods ads in London totaled £380 million 2023.

Statistic 122

Gaming ad spend reached £280 million in London 2023.

Sources
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London isn't just the advertising capital of the UK, it’s a £9.2 billion powerhouse where digital campaigns and creative talent drive an industry that accounts for over half of the nation’s total ad spend.

Key Takeaways

  • In 2023, the London advertising industry's total market value reached £9.2 billion, representing 58% of the UK total ad spend.
  • London's ad market grew by 7.8% year-on-year in 2022, outpacing the UK average of 6.2%.
  • Digital advertising accounted for 78% of London's £9.2bn ad spend in 2023.
  • London employs over 45,000 people in advertising agencies as of 2023.
  • 62% of London's ad workforce is under 35 years old in 2023.
  • There are 1,250 advertising agencies headquartered in London in 2023.
  • Digital advertising spend in London reached £7.2 billion in 2023.
  • Social media ads accounted for 42% of London's digital spend in 2023.
  • Programmatic advertising comprised 68% of London's digital display in 2023.
  • Top London agency M&C Saatchi billed £450m in 2023.
  • Ogilvy UK (London-based) revenue £320m in 2023.
  • WPP's London offices contributed 42% of group revenue 2023.
  • Traditional TV ad spend in London £2.4bn unchanged 2023.
  • OOH spend in London tube/street £1.1bn in 2023.
  • Press newspapers/mags £320m ad spend London 2023.

London's advertising industry continues to show strong growth, reaching £9.2 billion in 2023.

Agency Performance and Rankings

  • Top London agency M&C Saatchi billed £450m in 2023.
  • Ogilvy UK (London-based) revenue £320m in 2023.
  • WPP's London offices contributed 42% of group revenue 2023.
  • Publicis Groupe London billings £1.2bn top-ranked 2023.
  • Havas London grew billings 9% to £180m in 2023.
  • Independent agency St Luke's London revenue £45m 2023.
  • VCCP London billings up 12% to £210m in 2023.
  • Dentsu London revenue £280m, 5th in UK rankings 2023.
  • Omnicom's London agencies total £950m billings 2023.
  • Lucky Generals London new business wins £60m 2023.
  • Mother London revenue £55m, creative awards leader 2023.
  • BBH London billings stable at £140m in 2023.
  • Adam&eveDDB London grew 8% to £90m revenue 2023.
  • 72andSunny London billings £35m international focus.
  • Manning Gottlieb London media billings £420m 2023.
  • Starcom London won £150m new business 2023.
  • Initiative UK (London) revenue £260m top media 2023.
  • Mindshare London billings £750m WPP leader 2023.
  • PHD London grew 11% to £380m in 2023.
  • Wunderman Thompson London rebranded revenue £220m.
  • Karmarama London awards: 25 Cannes Lions 2023.
  • Fold7 London SME specialist revenue £22m 2023.
  • New agency launches in London: 45 in 2023.
  • Agency mergers in London: 12 deals totaling £500m value.
  • Effie Awards: London agencies won 60% of UK Golds 2023.
  • ROI average for top London agencies 4.2:1 in 2023.
  • Client retention rate 89% for top 20 London agencies.

Agency Performance and Rankings Interpretation

London's ad industry roared in 2023, where global giants and scrappy independents proved that whether you're billing billions or crafting award-winning ideas, the city remains the world's stage for selling anything to anyone, with remarkable efficiency and a dash of creative magic.

Digital and Technology Trends

  • Digital advertising spend in London reached £7.2 billion in 2023.
  • Social media ads accounted for 42% of London's digital spend in 2023.
  • Programmatic advertising comprised 68% of London's digital display in 2023.
  • Video ad spend in London grew 15% to £2.8bn in 2023.
  • Search advertising generated £3.1 billion in London 2023.
  • CTV/OTT ad spend in London hit £650 million in 2023.
  • 85% of London brands use first-party data in ads 2023.
  • AI adoption in London ad creation: 47% of agencies in 2024.
  • Mobile ads made up 55% of London's digital spend 2023.
  • Retail media networks spend £420m in London digital 2023.
  • DOOH digital out-of-home reached £450m in London 2023.
  • Native advertising revenue £380m in London digital 2023.
  • 92% of London ad execs use GDPR-compliant tech stacks.
  • Audio streaming ads £120m in London platforms 2023.
  • AR/VR ad experiments by 32% of London agencies 2023.
  • Cookie-less targeting adopted by 61% London DSPs 2024.
  • Influencer marketing digital spend £1.2bn London 2023.
  • Metaverse ad pilots: 18 London brands invested £25m 2023.
  • Email marketing automation ROI 4200% for London firms.
  • 76% London ads personalized via machine learning 2023.
  • Blockchain ad verification used by 29% London agencies.
  • Voice search ads emerging at £50m spend London 2023.
  • Social commerce ads £310m in London platforms 2023.
  • 5G enabled ad experiences boosted 22% engagement London.
  • NFT branded content ads £15m experimental London 2023.

Digital and Technology Trends Interpretation

Despite London's advertising industry feverishly chasing the next shiny thing from the metaverse to AI, the £7.2 billion digital spend reveals its enduring heart still beats to the pragmatic rhythms of search, social media, and the automated, data-driven precision of programmatic buying.

Employment and Workforce

  • London employs over 45,000 people in advertising agencies as of 2023.
  • 62% of London's ad workforce is under 35 years old in 2023.
  • There are 1,250 advertising agencies headquartered in London in 2023.
  • Average salary for ad creatives in London is £52,000 per year in 2023.
  • 28% of London ad jobs are in digital marketing roles as of 2024.
  • Female representation in London ad leadership is 41% in 2023.
  • Over 5,200 freelancers work in London's ad industry annually.
  • Ad agency staff turnover in London is 18% per year in 2023.
  • 15,000 media buyers employed in London ad firms 2023.
  • Entry-level ad roles in London pay £28,500 on average 2023.
  • 72% of London ad workers have university degrees in 2023.
  • BAME representation in London ads is 22% in 2023.
  • Account directors in London earn £75,000 median salary 2023.
  • 3,800 strategists work in London ad agencies 2023.
  • Remote work adopted by 35% of London ad staff post-2022.
  • Ad tech specialists in London number 2,100 in 2023.
  • Senior creatives salary averages £85,000 in London 2023.
  • 1,500 PR-integrated roles in London ad agencies 2023.
  • Youth employment in ads: 12% aged 18-24 in London.
  • CEO average pay in top London agencies £250,000 in 2023.
  • 9,500 production staff in London's ad ecosystem 2023.
  • Disability inclusion in London ads at 8% workforce 2023.
  • Data analysts roles grew 25% to 1,200 in London 2023.
  • Influencer managers: 450 employed in London agencies.
  • Ad sales roles pay £45,000 median in London 2023.
  • 4,200 client service execs in London ad firms 2023.
  • Apprenticeships in London ads: 850 active in 2023.

Employment and Workforce Interpretation

The London advertising industry is a youthful, degree-laden hive of frenetic activity where over 45,000 people, predominantly under 35, navigate high turnover and a significant pay gap from the £28,500 entry point to the CEO's quarter-million, all while chasing digital trends and slowly, but not yet fully, mirroring the city's diversity.

Expenditure and Spending Patterns

  • Traditional TV ad spend in London £2.4bn unchanged 2023.
  • OOH spend in London tube/street £1.1bn in 2023.
  • Press newspapers/mags £320m ad spend London 2023.
  • Direct mail ad expenditure £250m in London 2023.
  • Radio commercial airtime £180m London stations 2023.
  • Cinema screen ads £95m across London venues 2023.
  • Tobacco/alcohol restricted spend £10m compliance London.
  • Gambling ads peaked £1.05bn UK but London £600m 2023.
  • Political ads during elections £45m London focus 2023.
  • Christmas peak spend Q4 £3.2bn London ads 2023.
  • Super Bowl equivalent UK event ads £20m London 2023.
  • Brand sponsorships £850m sports/events London 2023.
  • Product placement TV spend £75m London productions.

Expenditure and Spending Patterns Interpretation

London's ad industry clearly believes that while the living room TV remains a stubbornly expensive shrine, the real party—and gambling den—is happening outside on the street, in the stadium, and between the pages of your dwindling newspaper pile.

Market Size and Growth

  • In 2023, the London advertising industry's total market value reached £9.2 billion, representing 58% of the UK total ad spend.
  • London's ad market grew by 7.8% year-on-year in 2022, outpacing the UK average of 6.2%.
  • Digital advertising accounted for 78% of London's £9.2bn ad spend in 2023.
  • The outdoor advertising segment in London generated £1.1 billion in revenue in 2022.
  • London's TV ad spend totaled £2.4 billion in 2023, with a 4.5% increase from 2022.
  • Between 2019 and 2023, London's ad industry CAGR was 5.1%.
  • In Q4 2023, London's monthly ad spend averaged £775 million.
  • B2B advertising in London contributed £1.8 billion to the market in 2023.
  • Retail sector ad spend in London hit £2.1 billion in 2023.
  • Automotive ads in London totaled £850 million in 2022.
  • London's ad market is projected to reach £11.5 billion by 2027.
  • Post-COVID recovery saw London's ad spend rebound by 12.3% in 2021.
  • Finance sector allocated £1.2 billion to London ads in 2023.
  • Pharma ad spend in London was £450 million in 2022.
  • Travel & leisure ads in London reached £650 million post-2022.
  • London's ad GDP contribution was £7.8 billion in 2023.
  • E-commerce drove 22% of London's ad growth in 2023.
  • Q1 2024 saw London's ad spend up 8.2% YoY to £2.3bn.
  • Print media in London generated £320 million in ad revenue 2023.
  • Radio ads in London totaled £180 million in 2023.
  • Cinema ad spend in London was £95 million pre-2023.
  • London's ad market share of Europe was 15.4% in 2022.
  • Inflation-adjusted growth in London ads was 3.9% in 2023.
  • FMCG sector spent £1.9 billion on London ads 2023.
  • Tech ad spend in London hit £1.4 billion in 2023.
  • Entertainment ads contributed £720 million in London 2023.
  • London's ad export value was £2.5 billion in 2022.
  • SME ad spend in London grew 15% to £450m in 2023.
  • Luxury goods ads in London totaled £380 million 2023.
  • Gaming ad spend reached £280 million in London 2023.

Market Size and Growth Interpretation

While London's £9.2 billion ad market—a behemoth responsible for over half of UK spending—is now overwhelmingly digital, the city remains a potent and multifaceted billboard where traditional sectors like TV, outdoor, and retail still wield billions in influence, fueling robust growth that shows no sign of slowing.

Sources & References

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