Havas Creative finished fourth among the Indian agencies at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, with a Gold, two Bronze, and seven shortlists.

During the festival, we caught up with Rana Barua, group CEO, Havas India, SEA, and North Asia, and Joji Jacob, regional chief creative officer, South East Asia and North Asia, Havas Creative, to understand what are the plans for the creative offerings, which was once perceived to be not as strong as the media operations.

Barua said, "The perception of a 'media-stronger-agency' was because most of our talent in the country was linked to the function. Looking at the region - if BLKJ (the agency Jacob launched which was acquired by Havas) wasn't there, it was all Havas Media. With the acquisition of BLKJ, we got the creative function rolling in the region. Now, the perception is changing. After we won Gold, the agency gave a standing ovation to the creative team that was in Cannes."

Jacob added, "I think we need another two years. Our ambition isn't just being creative for the sake of being creative."

On the two-year ambition, he added ,"We are strengthening the creative offering across the region. We have new CCOs in Japan, Australia and Cambodia. We are building the creative offering and have a regional creative council as well."

While several industry heads have been claiming talent to be a major issue, both Barua and Jacob, feel otherwise.

Jacob stated, "I speak from a creative point-of-view; once we have more visibility, and start winning awards, people see the kind of work we are doing and want to join the agency. If I were a 30-year-old-copywriter, Havas would be my agency of choice.

Barua added, "A talent crunch is a myth currently. It could have been the case a few years ago. When one comes to Cannes, or back home in India at Goafest, one sees the amount of bright people with ideas. I think it's upto people like Joji, me and those who have reached a certain stage to give the younger people absolute clarity on how this is the best industry to work in."

Read the full candid conversation with Barua and Jacob in the July issue of Manifest. Get it here.

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