How Havas Health is Setting a Trend in the GLP-1 Space

Applying agile methodology at global scale is key

Chloé Depiesse is a managing director at Havas and leads Havas’ GLP-1 Consultancy launched in 2024. Recognizing how game-changing GLP-1s would be for people around the world, Havas took strides early to create a dedicated consultancy for their clients. Just about a year in, it has developed one playbook with localized approaches across different geographical regions.

“We share the same agile methodology but customize our strategies to the local environment, whether that’s regulatory, payers, cultural nuances, or market dynamics” says Depiesse. “We have medical directors, access experts, behavioral scientists, medical anthropologists and cultural strategists all around the world that I can tap into, that are closely monitoring and analyzing the GLP-1 revolution. You cannot just look at it as a global phenomenon. It’s a global phenomenon that has very nuanced cultural implications.”

Muse spoke at length with Depiesse on the creation of the consultancy, what has ensued and why this is so critically important. 

Muse: What led Havas to launch this dedicated GLP-1 consultancy?

In early 2024, we identified clear signals of a powerful, fast-growing movement: the rise of GLP-1s. This health shift was colliding with consumer categories in unprecedented ways, reshaping appetites, mindsets and behaviors across industries.

Anticipating its scale, we launched the Havas GLP-1 Consultancy at Cannes Lions in June 2024 – a strategic offering designed to help brands navigate and seize opportunities emerging from this transformation, spanning healthcare, food & beverage, beauty, retail, travel and more.

GLP-1s don’t just curb appetite; they influence mindsets and behaviors. We’re seeing reduced grocery and alcohol spending, a preference for cleaner, protein and fiber-rich foods. Users report higher confidence, improved self-esteem and greater optimism about the future which led them to travel, socialize, exercise and even date more.

It’s these profound changes in behavior and consumption, and the opportunities created by this movement, that inspired the creation of our GLP-1 Consultancy.

Just how are you driving meaningful, strategic solutions?

I’ll start with our core belief: every brand needs a GLP-1 strategy. It’s no longer optional. It must be embedded in the core of your brand strategy, given the scale and momentum of this disruption. We begin by deeply understanding a brand’s DNA, including its mission, vision, value proposition and target audience, to ensure we craft a GLP-1 strategy that meaningfully coexists with and enhances the broader brand and retail strategy.

Less than a year after the launch of the consultancy, you now have a dedicated presence in Europe. Please talk about how that came about.

Overall, we’ve been trying to actively educate on the subject, publishing and speaking at a wide range of events across the world. Why? Because there’s still a limited level of knowledge on the subject. It’s relatively new and a lot of categories didn’t think they would be impacted. Many people initially believed that it was just a healthcare phenomenon. So, we still have some education to do on the subject, and that’s why we’ve been hosting “GLP-1 Days” around the world.

There are, of course market nuances: different healthcare systems with different access pathways, different payers’ dynamics, category sensitivities, different relationships to food, etc. So, we really must take those nuances into account as we shape our narrative and recommendations to clients at a local level. In short, it’s the same macro disruption, but with region-specific strategies, and in a way, it’s about strategically localizing a global disruption.

Talk about the Havas Health YouTube video series, “Shape Shifting.” 

“Shape Shifting” is our science-led creator YouTube series on GLP-1s. We decided to create it, early in the disruption, because we realized that there was a lot of information on the subject but that it was either highly scientific, and as a result, dry, or difficult to understand, or highly sensational. There was also a lot of misinformation. We saw a clear information gap and room for us to educate accurately and scientifically, but in an engaging way.

We launched our channel around CES 2025, and it quickly became the most watched GLP-1 series on YouTube. Episodes have drawn six figure views, really demonstrating people’s appetite for the subject. We’ve had multiple episodes on different sub-topics, like a biologist explaining side effects, while others are focused on fitness or nutrition. 

We went about selecting experts to cover all these subjects in the most engaging way possible. It’s also been very helpful for us from a data and insights standpoint because we could see engagement, questions, comments, and views on certain episodes, and were able to figure out which subjects resonated the most with the audience.

What’s an example of this consultancy successfully helping a brand navigate the space?

The fitness industry is a great example. Many gyms initially feared that GLP-1s would hurt their business – if people could take a drug to lose weight, why work out? The opposite actually happened. GLP-1s have driven an increase in fitness memberships. Rapid weight loss often leads to muscle loss, so people are turning to exercise to preserve strength. Plus, as many users lose weight, they feel more confident and willing to join gyms for the first time. We’ve had to challenge fitness brands that this isn’t the end of their business—it’s an opportunity to grow it.

What’s been most rewarding for you since the creation of this consultancy?

Two things. The first one is the public facing momentum, like the results of the “Shape Shifting” series. All of this has helped to position us as a first mover at the intersection of health and consumer. Not a week goes by where we’re not asked to showcase our thought leadership. It confirms that this was a relevant offering to develop and shows that we really are trendsetters.

The second is growth and success has resulted from word-of-mouth referrals because clients are very happy with the level of service and the strategic thinking that we provide.

What would you like to see happen? 

I’m hoping that conversations—and actions—around the subject will continue to be as accurate, as scientifically driven, as ethically and as stigma-free as possible, because it’s a subject that has been surrounded by a lot of stigma and misinformation for a while.