Creativity Needs Space—A Cultural Contrast at Havas Paris

During our visit to Havas, a leading agency within the global Havas Group headquartered in Paris, we were welcomed not just with insights, but with something completely unexpected: freshly made pizza, prepared on-site by two chefs who brought everything—from ingredients to a real oven.

They are making pizza！

They kneaded the dough, spread the sauce, sprinkled toppings based on our preferences, and served some of the best pizza I’ve ever tasted. But more than the food itself, what struck me was the relaxed atmosphere surrounding the experience.

As someone who has interned in Shanghai and currently studies in New York, I’m used to a very different work rhythm. In Shanghai, most people grab a quick lunch from downstairs or order takeout, often eating in the company’s break room. In Midtown Manhattan, it’s common to see long lines for sandwiches, with employees racing back to their desks. Lunch is brief, functional, and efficient.

But at Havas, lunch felt slow and intentional. People chatted freely, took smoke breaks, and some even transitioned from an extended afternoon tea straight into the end of their workday. It felt... relaxed and human.

This experience made me reflect on whether this rhythm is part of a broader French work culture—one that prioritizes mental space, trust, and presence. Perhaps it's not that French agencies always operate at this pace, but that the advertising industry has cycles: intense peak seasons close to campaign deadlines, and slower periods in between. What I witnessed may have been one of those in-between moments, allowing time to recharge.

Still, the contrast was eye-opening. It challenged my assumption that creativity comes from pressure. At Havas, I saw a culture that seemed to believe creative excellence is born from relaxing atmosphere—in which people have the freedom to pause, to enjoy, to connect. Maybe this is why French advertising continues to win hearts (and Cannes Lions).