Ross Taylor is promoted from group executive creative director
Havas Play UK has promoted group ECD Ross Taylor to chief creative officer to strengthen its culture-first creative leadership. His promotion is the latest in a series of recent leadership changes designed to provide clients with best-in-class creative leadership in support of their commercial ambitions.
Leveraging his cultural expertise, commercial acumen and collaborative leadership, Taylor will strengthen strategic creativity and integrated solutions across partnerships, experiences, social and content, fostering greater cross-agency collaboration, cultivating future creative leaders and shaping frameworks that deliver award-winning work.
Taylor’s promotion follows Havas Play UK’s recent investment in its leadership team, including the promotion of Charlie Hugill to chief client officer, appointment of Maria Panayi as head of culture, and Hannah Liu-Sherman as managing partner, strengthening the agency’s senior bench to deliver more integrated, culture-first work.
Since joining Havas Play in 2024, Taylor’s creative leadership has played a critical role in accelerating the agency’s growth, leading to client wins and retained strategic partnerships with brands including adidas, HSBC, Renault, Jet2 and Asahi, alongside successfully extending Havas Play’s 27-year relationship with EE.
His recent work includes Jet2’s Nothing Beats football shirts, which turned a social meme into a sold-out cultural phenomenon; adidas’ Three Stripe Social Club at the Women’s Euros, drawing 10,000+ visitors in five days; and EE’s BAFTA Hologram experience, projecting fans from Bath directly onto the red carpet via 5G+, bringing them closer to the action than ever before.
During this period, Havas Play secured its first Campaign Brand Experience Agency of the Year Bronze award. Most recently, Taylor was named a winner in Campaign’s 40 Over 40.
Before joining Havas Play, Taylor built an award-winning career spanning 18 years, delivering work for brands including Formula E, Barclays, Suzuki, BRITA, Pizza Hut and KFC. His work has been recognised by Cannes Lions, Clio Sport, Creative Circle and Campaign, and he was named Creative Leader of the Year 2023/24.
Beyond his client work, Taylor is a visible advocate for LGBTQIA+ inclusion across advertising and sport. He has championed greater representation through initiatives including the rebrand of Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign, the creation of Aiko, an AI-generated openly gay metahuman footballer during the 2022 Qatar World Cup, and Pride365, an industry platform focused on intersectionality and inclusion.
Taylor will report into Nick Wright, CEO of Havas Play UK, who said: “Ross has had a transformational impact on Havas Play in a short space of time – elevating our creative offering, attracting exceptional talent and shaping our culture inside and out. As we’ve grown in scale and ambition, promoting him to chief creative officer is about making the work, work: building reputation, creating fame and ultimately powering growth for clients. Ross will be central to delivering that for Havas Play.”
On his appointment as chief creative officer, Ross Taylor said: “What excites me most is that we’re building the kind of creative agency the industry needs next. Havas Play has an exceptional team and a unique model that brings together creativity, culture and partnerships to help brands grow.
“We’ve built real momentum, but I genuinely believe we’re only getting started. My ambition is to keep raising the creative standard, champion brilliant talent and create the kind of work that people remember because it shaped culture as much as it shaped our clients’ businesses.”
-ENDS-
Contact:
Jessica Porter
Comms Manager, Havas Media Network
jessica.porter@havasmn.com
Havas Play. Building brands in culture.
At Havas Play, we live in the space between traditional advertising and media, creating work that’s connected through culture and powered by partnerships.
We believe in the power of the remarkable to deliver distinction and measurable impact for our clients – some of the most recognised brands in culture, including adidas, Asahi, BBC, EE, Footlocker, HSBC, Jet2, JBL, Renault, and World Rugby.
Our specialisms include: Partnerships – rights holders, brand-to-brand, talent, influencer, and creator collaborations; Social – strategy, production, and community management; Experiential – activations and stunts, programmed experiences, live and hybrid events; and Content – brand films and production.
Havas Play has been recognised five times in six years as one of Campaign’s Best Places to Work, as Sport Business Agency of the Year, and as Campaign Brand Experience Agency of the Year 2025 (Bronze). We operate globally with 19 offices world-wide.
