Havas New York Is First Major Network Agency to Become a Certified B Corp™

Doubling down on boldly breaking the traditions of advertising to create deeper meaning on every level, Havas New York, the North American flagship creative agency of global advertising and communications network Havas Group, proudly announced today its certification as a B Corporation™ (B Corp™) from B Lab™, a company aimed at transforming the global economy to benefit all people, communities, and the planet. Havas New York joins a global movement of more than 4,000 B Corps in 153 industries and 77 countries – each committed to balancing people, planet, and profit and using business as a force for good. 

Havas New York’s B Corp certification is a significant milestone in the agency’s ongoing commitment to social, environmental, and economic good as the cornerstone of its business strategy. The achievement underscores the promise of having purpose and profit on equal footing in every decision made while telegraphing the agency’s values to attract high-caliber talent and clients.

“The decision to become a Certified B Corp was made based on our desire to become not only the best company in the world, but the best company for the world,” said Laura Maness, Havas New York CEO. “It’s about raising the altitude and blazing a new trail throughout our industry as we redefine the future of work and how it affects employees, clients, the environment, and our communities.” 

Havas New York began working towards B Corp certification in 2019 and is proud to have met and exceeded B Lab’s criteria. The agency has met the rigorous standards of accountability and transparency in five key areas including governance, workers, community, environment, and customers by enacting policies that reduce carbon emissions, providing fair and living wages to its staff, meeting ethical standards regarding practices in their supply chain, and giving back to their community.

Havas New York’s B Corp certification comes on the heels of the appointment of the agency’s first Chief of Social Impact, Lindsay Stein, as well as its announcement of new clients that embody the same shared values such as global commercial real estate services company JLL, which was recognized as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies by the Ethisphere® Institute and Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies, and Yash Pakka, a sustainable packaging company with soul and a fellow B Corp.

Havas’ global mission is to make a meaningful difference to the brands, businesses, and the lives of the people we work with, and B Corp certification is just one of the ways the company’s mission is being realized. Havas New York joins Havas London, which was the first Havas Group agency to become a Certified B Corp in 2018, and Havas Lemz in Amsterdam, which joined the esteemed club in 2020, alongside some of the world’s most purpose-driven companies like Allbirds, Athleta, Ben & Jerry’s, Chloé, Danone, Kickstarter, Patagonia, and S’well, to name a few.

Maness stressed that “becoming a Certified B Corp should be an ambition that every modern leader aspires to achieve.” Thus, Havas New York is challenging not only fellow agencies but all companies to “copy” them and apply for certification of their own – harnessing everyone’s collective strength to make a meaningful difference and build a better world together.