Havas Helia, the agency which can trace its roots back to two of the UK marketing industry’s pioneering businesses, Christian Brann and Evans Hunt Scott, has appointed its first ever chief creative officer as the business overhauls its client offering and restructures its London and Cirencester offices.
Multi-award-winning creative leader Andy O’Carroll has held top-tier senior roles at some of the UK’s most significant creative and CX agencies – with diverse experience spanning paid, owned and earned media. Reporting into Helia CEO David MacMillan, he replaces two regional ECDs.
O’Carroll has won a haul of awards from DMA to D&AD and Cannes Lions Grand Prix. His background spans leadership roles at Digitas, where he played a major role in the launch of ‘New EE’, the biggest brand relaunch in a decade, with the ambition of being the most personal and customer-focused technology brand in the UK.
At Uncommon Creative Studio, O’Carroll led CX on its Cannes Lions grand prix-winning British Airways account; and at M&C Saatchi and the now defunct Lida, he creatively led Ikea’s customer experience account, growing its loyalty programme to 6 million members and winning more than 20 awards.
He has also held ECD roles at full-service creative agency TPA and leading PR agency Brands2Life, as well as roles at Publicis, DDB and the long gone but not forgotten Archibald Ingall Stretton. He has most recently held a number of freelance and consulting roles at agencies including Ogilvy, AMV, BBH and House337 (Elvis).
Under O’Carroll’s creative leadership, Helia will refocus on a proposition rooted in developing next-generation CX under the new ethos of “Experiences That Hit Different” (sic).
It is designed to deliver strong, impactful and emotionally charged campaigns for customers, broadening CX integration to span paid, owned, shared and earned to create ecosystems of moments rather than in traditional channels. By championing the customer deeply and understanding their needs, Helia aims to translate cultural insight and combined demographic and behavioural data into real-world brand behaviour, helping brands show up in the right moments with the right tone and intent.
The agency will seek to tap into subcultures – unlocking ideas for fans, not audiences, rooted in cultural moments, not channels and will be crafted to earn belonging, not just attention, by being relevant, authentic and adding value to foster deeper connection.
O’Carroll said: “This is an incredible opportunity not just to reboot the agency’s creative ambition, focus and energy – but to shake and wake CX as we know it. We’ll study subcultures the way others study markets to understand what shapes behaviour, what people care about and what earns their trust. Because great brands don’t sell products, they sell belonging. It’s the invisible thread that drives us to choose a brand again and again.
“The combination of David MacMillan’s belief in the role of creative, the agency’s rich heritage in the customer space, and the ability to tap into the incredible skillsets and capabilities across the wider Havas Village are going to add up to a pretty wild and game-changing time creatively – driving a culture of innovative experimentation. We’re now set up to create ideas with more bite.”
MacMillan added: “In a space increasingly commoditised and driven by efficiency over efficacy, by putting ideas at the heart of our work we have the chance to step-change customers’ engagement with a brand.
“Andy is the perfect customer-focused creative leader. With a diverse background, he brings a unique mix of paid, owned, shared and earned experience. In other words, all the ingredients that underpin brilliant, modern CX. He is simultaneously a big thinker and someone who pays meticulous attention to detail, resulting in big, strategic ideas with excellent execution that genuinely enthral – not harass – busy customers.”
To coincide with O’Carroll’s appointment, Helia has revamped the purpose of and relationship between its two offices in Havas Village and Cirencester to better deliver end-to-end CX capability. London becomes its dedicated strategy, creative and client leadership hub, while the West Country office becomes a best-in-class craft and innovation centre of excellence – housing creative technology, data, AI, design and build capabilities.
This new structure is the culmination of a transformation plan started in 2024 – turning two overlapping, fragmented offices into one unified agency under one leadership team. Combining access to both London’s talent pool, geographical significance and the wider Havas Village, with the South West’s cheaper cost base, diverse talent and thriving production and innovation scene.
Backed by significant investment, the move is designed to enabled Helia to turn legacy complication into genuine USP – cutting duplication, better exploiting complementary specialisms and ensuring the agency is future-ready to deliver against clients’ evolving business needs.
MacMillan concluded: “Andy’s appointment represents Helia doubling down on the power of creativity in an age of bland, commoditised solutions, and we’re thrilled to have him on board to help steer this exciting new chapter for the agency.”
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