• by Steve McClellan  @mp_mcclellan, April 2, 2012

New York’s downtown Hudson Square area is rapidly becoming a new Madison Avenue for ad agencies. Paris-based agency holding company Havas is the latest industry concern to move what it says will be the bulk of its New York operations -- including the soon-to-be rebranded Euro RSCG and MPG -- into a new facility in the area.

The Havas move will take place in phases throughout 2013, to a renovated two-building campus comprising 200 and 205 Hudson Street.

A number of ad shops are already in the neighborhood, including Horizon Media, which moved into a redone space at 75 Varick Street a little more than a year ago. Also in the area are Publicis Groupe’s Saatchi & Saatchi and sibling media agency ZenithOptimedia, MDC Partners’ Kirshenbaum Bond Senecal + Partners, several Omnicom agencies and Wieden + Kennedy.

The move by Havas is the firm’s latest consolidation step, which comes amidst a rebranding of its flagship ad shop Euro RSCG. Effective in September, the agency will be renamed Havas Worldwide. Earlier this year, Havas consolidated its Paris-based facilities. 

In New York, Havas’ creative and digital shops, as well as media agency MPG, will all be housed at the new location. So will certain diversified service units, such as a luxury events and marketing group, Havas Worldwide Luxe. A company rep confirmed that a couple of units will not be part of the move, including health care marketing firm Havas Health and PR shop Euro RSCG Worldwide PR.

New production facilities and an emerging technologies lab are also planned for the new location.

According to Havas CEO David Jones, the steps are being taken to underscore the company’s integration efforts. "This move and the rebranding reflect our desire to reinforce the structural advantage and superior integration of Havas,” said Jones, noting similar efforts the company has undertaken in Chicago, Boston and Shanghai.  

With 15,000 staffers worldwide, Havas clients include Air France, Charles Schwab, Citigroup, Danone Group, IBM, Kraft Foods, Lacoste, and Merck.