Havas acquires Argentina’s top independent creative agency Don

Independent agencies are officially having a moment and the latest in the spotlight is Argentina’s most prominent creative agency, Don.

Today, Havas announced the acquisition of Don to its roster. Headquartered in Buenos Aires and Mexico City, Don’s team of 140 professionals brings a strong reputation for award-winning creativity for Latin America’s leading brands. 

The independent agency space is prominent in Latin America, but when it came to choosing the right member to join the Havas family, Don was a no-brainer. “Don clearly stood out from the rest because of the sustainable recognition it has had in the past 10 years. It has been the most-awarded independent agency in one of the most competitive creative markets around the world, Argentina,” Havas LatAm CEO Jorge Percovich told Campaign. “When we met the management and team, it immediately became evident there was a great fit between them and Havas. Pursuing excellence is a critical common cultural driver, and Don had it.”

The agency, under the leadership of cofounder and CEO Juan Manuel “Papon” Ricciarelli, secured a record number of new clients in the past year. The client roster spans across multiple industries including CPG, financial services, transportation and beyond. Previous achievements include Effies and eight Cannes Lions awards, the most Cannes Lions an Argentinean independent agency holds.

“Don by Havas combines the best of both worlds to offer a better version of each as well as a superior version together,” Ricciarelli said in the statement. “Coming together allows Don to maintain its essence with the goal of deepening growth and adding more strength for its future.”

The acquisition is one of many in adland right now, especially coming from Latin America. At the end of 2024, Tombras acquired Argentina-based creative agency, Niña. The uptick in M&A is likely a ripple effect from the major merger that rocked the industry earlier this year: Omnicom and IPG.

For Havas specifically, the agency will continue the M&A trend, looking for the best and brightest in the competitive marketplace. “We continue to pursue acquisition opportunities to complement our service offering across the region,” Percovich stated. “With over 3,500 talented people, and offices across Latin America, Havas has consistently been a leader in the region, complementing the group’s ambition of building meaningful brands for our clients through the Converged strategy, which combines the best of creativity with media, production, as well as leading data, tech and AI capabilities.”