Advertising giant Havas is staying ahead of the curve. The company has launched a new campaign hailing neurodiversity as the future of the creative industry, and it recently took to the world’s most prestigious creative stage to drive the point home.
Havas kicked off its presence at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity this month with unbranded digital teasers along the Croisette, the famous boulevard in the French city that hosts the convention center where the festival takes place each year. Launched ahead of the official debut of Havas’ “Beyond the Brief” campaign, the teasers asked viewers questions like, “What if the future of creativity doesn't look like the past—and never did?"
That was the lead-up to the ad agency’s mainstage panel session on June 16 titled "Neurodivergent Minds: They Don't Need Advertising—Advertising Needs Them.”
The discussion, held on Neurodiversity Pride Day, saw Michael Barbaro of the New York Times’ "The Daily" podcast serve as moderator alongside Havas Health and Creative Networks CEO Donna Murphy and Merck KGaA’s Renee Connolly. Connelly heads up life sciences communications and branding at the German-based pharma and also serves as its chief belonging and inclusion officer.
Joining the panelists was British pop star Lola Young, who is perhaps best known for her chart-topping 2024 single “Messy.” The Generation Z artist has described the viral song as “an ADHD anthem.”
"ADHD isn't a barrier, it's the engine,” Young said in a Havas press release. “Being part of this panel, and the industry challenge Havas is putting forward at Cannes, is about saying it loud: there's power in the mess, and brilliance in the minds people have spent too long trying to 'fix.'”
Through the Beyond the Brief campaign, Havas looks to boost neurodiverse voices and “challenge the industry to rethink the systems in place,” Murphy said.
“At the world's largest creative festival, we're calling on everyone to help shape a future of creativity that's more dynamic and powerful than ever before," she added.
The message was promoted over the course of the festival through a weeklong lineup of related programming, including an “alt social” happy hour tailored to “neurodivergent minds” and a sensory-friendly “Calm on the Croisette” pop-up space, both led by Google’s Neu Project.
Another Havas panel at Cannes, "The New Creative Alchemy: Neurodivergent Minds & AI as Industry Catalysts,” revealed new data showcasing the contributions of neurodivergent professionals and consumers and offering a road map for brands and agencies to capitalize on the lessons.
According to a Havas white paper (PDF) released under Neuroverse, the company’s recently launched neurodiversity center of excellence, 53% of Gen Z identifies as neurodivergent, meaning businesses “cannot afford to ignore” embracing neurodiversity as the key to unlocking the next generation of consumers.
Havas got the ball rolling with Neuroverse in March, offering neurodiversity-focused strategy and consulting and setting a “new standard that enhances both customer and employee experiences,” it said at the time. The agency has long integrated a focus on neurodiversity into its work, including with previous campaigns for Reckitt’s Vanish stain remover that highlights autism in young girls.
While there is still a ways to go with neurodiversity efforts across pharmas, some companies, like Pfizer and Merck, have already hopped on the neurodiversity train with a stated interest in neurodiverse talent and a focus on building inclusive workforces.