Credit: Havas
Havas has opened a new Melbourne Village in Richmond, consolidating its local agencies under one roof following a string of acquisitions and steady growth.
More than 100 staff across Havas Media, Havas Red, Havas Play, Havas Host, Pulse and Bastion Brands will now work from the new site at Amsterdam Street.
The move follows a broader investment in Australia by the global communications group, including the acquisitions of Frontier Media, APA, Bastion Brands and Hotglue.
Melbourne joins the established Sydney Havas Village, which houses 300 staff across nine agencies.
Havas also has offices in Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart, Perth and Auckland.
James Wright, group CEO of Havas ANZ and global CEO of Havas Red, said Melbourne and Victoria remain key markets for the group.
“Havas has enjoyed a long and successful history in Melbourne and we’re investing further to ensure we continue to deliver world-class results for our clients that are based or operate there,” Wright said.
“Following several years of excellent growth in Melbourne, it’s an exciting time to bring all our talent and capabilities together to meet the rapidly changing needs of marketers and brands.”
Wright said the new Village model in Melbourne would allow for greater integration across creative, media, digital, health, social, production and experiential capabilities.
“The pioneering Havas Village model means we can further integrate the full gambit of our capabilities, maximising expertise, resource and technology to better benefit our clients,” he said.
The move supports Havas’ global transformation to an AI-driven organisation, underpinned by its Converged.AI operating system.
The group has already committed around AU$719 million over four years to the AI strategy.
“Forming the Melbourne Village helps us accelerate our vision to be the most client-centric agency network that utilises data, tech, people, and AI to unlock the full potential of our capabilities,” Wright said.
The Richmond site includes production and content studios, along with indoor and outdoor spaces designed for collaboration and events.
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