Havas Media Community has appointed Andrea Isaac as managing associate and Alessia Grosso as head of technique and product for Havas Play North America, the division that helps manufacturers join with followers by gaming, creators, sports activities, music, and reside experiences.
The newly created roles make Isaac and Grosso the primary executives to steer Havas Play in North America underneath a brand new construction, which goals to place the providing on the intersection of media and artistic.
Havas Play expanded from its roots in France to grow to be a worldwide providing in 2023, consolidating the holding firm’s sports activities and leisure companies. It has had a U.S. presence since then, however the brand new appointments mark a relaunch—and an effort to take a position extra closely within the division whereas increasing its companies and sharpening its cultural focus.
Working as a “cultural consultancy,” Play connects manufacturers with followers by occasions, content material, social campaigns, and sponsorships. It has labored with shoppers together with Coca-Cola, Puma, Louis Vuitton, Purple Bull, and Hyundai.
Isaac, who has been with Havas for greater than 15 years, advised ADWEEK the management shift follows a broader restructuring at Havas Media that has concerned “consolidating and streamlining” groups throughout markets, investing in AI capabilities, and increasing Play’s remit on the intersection of media and creativity.
She added that Play’s instant priorities are activating fandoms to drive enterprise progress for shoppers and constructing new frameworks that permit it to ship these options.
Grosso was introduced in to “double down on every of the completely different specialties that we ship by way of Play,” Isaac mentioned.
A self-described “gamer-girl” who most just lately led technique and analytics for Havas Media Canada, she is going to give attention to making certain Play’s work engages with the total spectrum of fandoms, fairly than treating them as separate teams.
“Fandom itself is absolutely intersectional. Individuals transfer fluidly between completely different passions and platforms. Having the ability to join that to actual human perception is the place I’m hoping to have the best impression.”
