Nearly six months into his new role as ECD of Havas Host Australia, Sebastian Vizor recently sat down with Campaign Brief to chat about the team’s shared passion for creating impactful work, fostering young talent, future goals and much more.
How have you been settling into the agency?
It’s been great. I can’t believe it, but I’ve been here for six months already. The culture is one of the best I’ve known, where everyone in the Village works together to achieve the best results.
What drew you to Havas Host?
I’ve always sought out places that do things a little differently, and Havas Host delivers that. It has global backing, but the agency has maintained its independent spirit.
For me, the best agencies are those where the people steering it are truly aligned. So when I met with Gayle (While) and Olly (Taylor) I was excited to find that shared passion for creating work that people can’t help but notice.
What’s been the first focus on the agenda?
It’s about ensuring that creativity remains the focus to stand out in a sea of sameness, delivering growth for our clients and strengthening their brands in the market.
Equally important is ensuring our people feel inspired—when they are happy, it shows in the work.
Havas is one of the world’s largest global communications groups. Is it intimidating taking the creative helm in Australia?
I hadn’t really thought about it that way, but the fact that Havas has achieved amazing things creatively—winning the Black Pencil of the Decade means there’s a precedence set to excel. But with the support of Gayle, Olly, and James, who provide me with the resources needed for success, makes me really excited about the opportunity.
You’ve worked everywhere from London to Amsterdam and Sydney. What are the creative projects you’ve loved making most?
I really enjoy immersing myself in culture and working with great people so one would have to be when I was fortunate enough to work directly with Rihanna to help create her Fenty brand from the ground up. She’s someone who knew exactly what she wanted and appreciated the craft needed so it will always be an experience I hold close to my heart.
I also had the opportunity to help WWF create Our Planet, which I found particularly meaningful because it had the power to transcend traditional advertising and deliver their message to a captivated audience.
You’re a big believer in the power of mentorship, what advice would you give to young creatives?
I believe my team has created a list of ‘Sebinisms,’ but the main one I’ve always lived by is, ‘The more you put in, the more you’re going to get out.’
As creatives, we rely on many different facets to progress. The Creative Director needs to be excited by it, the wider team needs to support it, and the client needs to trust it enough to put it into the world.
Since it’s often out of our creative day-to-day control, just keep putting forward ideas that you’d be proud to create. The more you put forward, the more success you’ll have.
How do you feel the industry as a whole can support young creatives?
Whether they realise it or not, the younger generation is inherently creating super creative content every day. I think we can help by providing this diverse audience with a gateway to turn their creativity into a career through mentorship, inspirational sessions, and accessible awards tailored to showcase their thinking.
What do you look for when hiring?
Passion. It’s the one thing that can’t be manufactured; it’s an inherent instinct that leads to great things and fosters differently shaped thinking.
The Havas Village is a truly unique proposition – creative, digital, content, PR, media and partnerships, all under one roof. How does this integrated structure work for your clients?
The Village structure is a huge opportunity for all clients to maximise. It’s set up in a way that allows us to grow their business through various streams by leveraging the different areas of expertise we have in the building.
What’s your focus for the next 12 months?
Havas’ focus is on creativity—they really champion it. For me, it’s about getting everything lined up and hunkering down to realise great ideas for our clients, helping them stand out and avoid just adding to the ever-growing creative landfill.
