Havas Chicago Names Energy BBDO Vet Larry Gies As New Chief Strategy Officer

Havas Chicago announce the appointment of Larry Gies as its new Chief Strategy Officer, bringing on one of Chicago’s most accomplished brand strategists to the agency’s leadership team. Gies joins Havas Chicago following an 17-year career at Energy BBDO, where he grew and modernized the agency’s strategy discipline and helped lead the agency to its most celebrated work.

For more than three decades, Gies has shaped work that’s driven measurable business and cultural impact for some of the world’s most recognized brands – from his early days shaping the strategy that reintroduced Nike’s iconic “Just Do It” platform and helping ignite the U.S. “Beer Wars” for Miller Lite, to later helping put chewing gum on the cultural map. At Energy BBDO, he and his team led the strategy behind Extra Gum’s viral “Sarah and Juan” brand film and pandemic-era “For When It’s Time” campaign, as well as the Old Forester Kentucky Turtle Derby and Champion Reverse Weave campaigns – all demonstrating the power of brands becoming part of the cultural conversation. Under Gies’ strategic leadership, Energy BBDO earned more than 100 strategy and effectiveness honors, including Effies, Cannes Lions for Effectiveness, Jay Chiat Awards, APG Awards and WARC recognition.

“The best strategy starts with what people care about and gives creative teams the freedom to make something that people actually want to engage with,” said Gies. “What attracted me to Havas Chicago is their ability to operate at two frequencies, balancing the discipline of traditional brand building with the ability to be fluid, agile and culturally in tune. There’s a real entrepreneurial spirit here, and I’m excited to be part of what the team is building.”

In his new role, Gies will not only shape the strategic vision for the agency and its clients, but will work alongside agency President Kat Ott and Chief Creative Officer Frank Dattalo to continue raising the caliber of the work, expanding capabilities and fostering top talent. For him, this opportunity comes at a time when the relationship between brands and culture is changing fundamentally, and believes Havas Chicago is uniquely positioned to capitalize on that shift.

“Larry has the rare ability to connect the long-term thinking required to build enduring brands with an instinct for what matters to people right now,” said Dattalo. “I got to experience this first hand when we worked together at EnergyBBDO, helping launch Orbit and 5 Gum with the iconic “Dirty Mouth” and “Stimulate Your Senses” campaigns, getting our first taste of viral work that became part of the cultural vernacular. He truly embodies our “hi-low” philosophy, understanding that strategy today has to be both rigorous and radically connected to culture. I’m beyond excited to reunite with him.” 

In addition to being reunited with Dattalo, his return to the Havas represents something of a full-circle moment. Gies began his career in Chicago at Tatham Euro RSCG, as part of the Havas network, working across the Procter & Gamble business. He then moved through the ranks at J. Walter Thompson, Wieden + Kennedy, TBWA/Chiat/Day and Y&R Chicago before beginning his long tenure at Energy BBDO. 

Source: Havas Chicago

  Chief Strategy Officer, Frank Dattalo, Havas Chicago, Kat Ott, Larry Gies