Havas EHS, Havas Discovery Merge To Become Helia

The Havas Creative Group is merging two data-focused shops, UK-based Havas EHS and U.S.-based Havas Discovery, into the new agency brand Helia to strengthen the combined agency's global footprint and provide enhanced services to its clients.

The new entity will create a seamless brand across the U.S. (Chicago, Richmond, Baltimore, and New York), Europe (London, Cirencester, Warsaw) and China (Shanghai) with combined data-related revenue of over $70 million, more than 200 data scientists, 700 staff and a client roster that includes Unilever, easyJet, IBM, Diageo, Sony PlayStation, Liberty Mutual and Dish.

"We’re starting with two of our largest markets — the U.S. and the UK — where we have already built strong data practices with established client bases," says Andrew Benett, global CEO of Havas Worldwide and Havas Creative Group. "Our clients there, as well as in our prioritized markets, have expressed considerable interest, and we see great potential for immediate growth."

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Later this year, Helia will continue its expansion to include additional agencies within the network, such as APAC (Sydney and Singapore), Africa (Cape Town) and Latin America (Sao Paulo).

This new agency will be led by Havas EHS Group CEO Tash Whitmey, Havas Worldwide Chicago Group President Paul Marobella, and Havas EHS Group COO Matt Fanshawe. It is supported by dedicated leads in each office.

"At Havas, we believe that we must lead with innovation, agility and speed. With this new entity, our strong expertise in data, digital, and creative will be effectively rolled out across the globe,” said Benett.

According to Benett, Havas selected the name Helia with great care and specific intent. "Helia is Greek for 'of the sun,' " he said.  "Just as the sun is at the center of our universe, people sit at the center of the universe of data that they create. We filter the rays of data and turn them into human insights that, when blended with cultural resonance, inspire our creatives.

“We also believe that just as the sun's rays are the fuel for life, data is the fuel for marketing. The ability to fuse data with creativity represents the future of marketing," he noted. "That's why now is precisely the right time to launch this future-proof brand built of and for our new world of data." 

Before the rebrand, Havas EHS served as the sole global digital agency of record for Dove, Surf and more recently, Dove Men+Care, with additional clients including Tesco Clubcard, E.ON and Volvo. Havas Discovery specializes in delivering large-scale direct marketing, loyalty, CRM, eCommerce, demand generation, data intelligence and analytics programs across a spectrum of B2B and B2C clients. 

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