During the day of pride of neurodiversity (Neurodiversity Pride Day), Havas did not simply join the debate on inclusion; He redefined the issues. With its global campaign “Beyond the Brief”, launched live during the International Creativity Festival 2025, the agency is not content to highlight the neurodivergent talents on a symbolic basis, but affirms them as an essential pillar of the future of the creative industry.
Under the direction of Donna Murphy, world CEO of Havas Creative Network and Havas Health Network, the campaign is based on the bases laid by Neurovevese: Powered by Havas, which aims to revolutionize the way in which the industry identifies and develops creative potential.
« We live a major turning point in the transformation of the creative industry, carried by the development of AI and the arrival of new tools and ideas “, Underlines Ms. Murphy. “” However, a ditch persists. At Havas, we are convinced that this deficit can be filled by fully valuing the formidable potential of neurodivergent creative talents. »
The message is clear: the creative industry is not content to benefit from neurodivergent spirits, it depends on them to ensure its future.
Stand out rather than comply
On June 16, the main panel of the campaign, entitled « Neurodivergent Minds: They Don’t Need Advertising. Advertising Needs Them », was held at the Grand Auditorium Louis Lumière. Hosted by Michael Barbaro from the newspaper The Dailythis discussion brought together Donna Murphy, Renee Connolly from Merck Kgaa, as well as the British singer and composer Lola Young, whose sincerity and authenticity have marked the spirits.
Lola Young did not revolve around the pot by speaking of her place in the creative world: ” I am not here to correspond to the idea that we have of creativity. My art is connected precisely thanks to the unique way in which my mind works “She said. Diagnosed with ADHD, she insisted that this diagnosis is not weakness, but a force. “” ADHD is not a brake, it is an engine. »
This vision resonated throughout the presence of the campaign in Cannes. A few days before its official launch, anonymous digital screens arose along the Croisette, asking impactful questions like: ” What if the future of creativity did not look like the past? Each screen included a managers to a dedicated microphone, offering a full program of neurodiversity events: panels, downloadable resources, meetings organized by Havas.
The whole of this approach delivered a clear and strong message: it is not a simple punctual event, but a real movement.
When the data join the lived experience
Beyond the testimonies, these are concrete figures that underline the urgency of change. A 2025 study, carried out by Understood.org and the Ad Council, reveals that 69 % of neurodivergent professionals believe that their way of thinking is a real creative asset, while only 19 % feel really supported in their place of work. It is precisely this gap between potential and recognition that the campaign Beyond the Brief intends to fill.
The campaign also recalls that neurodivergent people are not only creators of ideas, but also represent a major consumer segment. During a session at Havas Café, entitled « The New Creative Alchemy: Neurodivergent Minds & AI as Industry Catalysts (The new creative alchemy: neurodivergent spirits and AI as engines in the industry), the speakers presented a roadmap to help marks and agencies to better support these talents and to design products and campaigns in line with their experiences.
« Avec Beyond the Brief, Our ambition is to make these voices heard and push the industry to rethink its models “Insisted Donna Murphy. By launching this initiative during the largest creative festival in the world, she said loud and clear that it was not a simple process of social responsibility, but a deep overhaul of the creativity ecosystem.
Rewrite the rules, not just CVs
Too often, neurodivergent candidates are dismissed, not for lack of talent, but because the recruitment processes are not designed for them. Post descriptions truffled with vague terms, interviews that value visual contact and neurotypical social codes, or even clear or inconvenient creative portfolios: so many obstacles that slow down these profiles.
Havas’ campaign shakes up these practices. Its microsite offers a downloadable detailed report, accompanied by concrete recommendations on various themes, ranging from more inclusive recruitments to the creation of work environments adapted to specific sensitivities. The objective is clear: lifting the barriers that have prevented the divergent and brilliant spirits from fully integrating the professional world.
« This campaign calls on all players in the sector to participate in the construction of a richer and powerful creative future than ever “, Underlines Donna Murphy. A future that will require voluntary and concrete actions, far from simple applause of facade.
Neurodivergent spirits are innovative
For a long time, the advertising industry celebrated thought ” off the beaten track ». But as Lola Young clearly pointed out and other stakeholders, neurodivergent creatives do not think like everyone else: their mind works according to different rhythms, connections and signals. A difference that is their strength.
To ignore this reality is to ignore an already well anchored trend in innovation.
The panels presented at the International Creativity Festival were not relegated to secondary sessions or check boxes. They were at the heart of the event, calling for industry to rethink not only who it recruits, but also the very definition of creativity in the era of artificial intelligence, global crises and the change of societal values.
Build a future that reflects each spirit
We are at the dawn of a world where neurodivergent spirits are not content to be tolerated, but truly celebrated. It is no longer enough to admire their talent, we must rethink our systems to integrate them fully from the start.
Murphy, Young, Connolly and the Havas team draw the contours of this future: a future where industry no longer sees neurodivergenous people as a challenge to overcome, but as a strategic asset.
A contribution from Jennifer Jay Palumbo for US Forbes – translated by Lisa Deleforterie
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