Havas has appointed Katie Keith, formerly first lady at Rattling Stick, to a hybrid role spanning both its production network and London creative agency.
Keith will act as global head of content for Havas Studios and head of production for Havas London in a bid to encourage collaboration and instil a production-led "makers" ethos.
For Havas Studios, she will oversee the content its 12 integrated worldwide studios creates.
Havas London has tasked her with boosting the quality, creativity, and production approach of its output – working with both Havas Studios and other production partners. She will also source the best creative and production talent for both companies.
In her 20-year career, she has worked across account management, agency producer and production house roles. She spent 10 years as first lady at Rattling Stick, where she combined responsibilities for company management and executive producing.
During her tenure at Rattling Stick, she worked on campaigns for brands including the BBC, Chanel, Audi and The Guardian and the company won more than 50 Cannes Lions, including a Film Grand Prix for "It’s a Tide ad".
The spot ran during Super Bowl 2018 and starred Stranger Things actor Jim Hopper as an omniscient narrator hijacking other ads during the game. The campaign was created by Saatchi & Saatchi New York and directed by Traktor through Rattling Stick.
Talent within Rattling Stick’s stable of directors includes Daniel Kleinman and Ringan Ledwidge, who directed the Cannes Lion award-winning three little pigs advert in 2012. Ledwidge was also ranked among the top 10 directors of 2017 by ±±¾©Èü³µpk10 for Audi’s Clowns ad. Kleinman's direction for 'noituloveE' for Guinness won the 2006 Cannes Film Grand Prix.
Paul Ward, global chief executive of Havas Studios, added: “We aim to create that utopian offering which both creatives and clients really want to work with.
"To achieve this, we are filling our businesses with equal measures of hugely talented grown-ups and hugely talented not-so-grown-ups.
"Katie has the energy and joie de vivre of the latter, but the experience and zen-like calm of the former. She’s also total production royalty, so I’m just chuffed she chose us.”
Prior to Rattling Stick, Keith spent a decade at JWT (now Wunderman Thompson), including four years as an account director and six as an agency producer. She has sat on the APA Council and is a founding partner of the AdCan Awards, which supports new and diverse talent.
Keith said: “Production requirements are changing before our eyes – but legacy models and ways of working have been slow to adapt, and there are huge opportunities that are not being tapped into.
“This role combines all I find inspiring: quality work, craft, finding new and innovative production approaches, nurturing and developing new talent, and the opportunity to work in new ways, with integrity, with the wider production and creative communities.
"Having said all this – a place is its people, and what an extraordinary bunch of talented, impressive and good people I’m joining.”
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