Havas South Africa confronts the mental health crisis in marketing.
Provit Chemmani, CEO Africa and Global MD of the Centre of Excellence at Havas Media Network
In an industry built on storytelling, we’ve failed to tell one of the most urgent stories of all: the mental health crisis unfolding behind the scenes of South Africa’s marketing and communications sector. We know how to sell purpose. We know how to craft campaigns that speak to social impact, inclusion, and wellness. But when it comes to our own people; the strategists, creatives, account leads, and agency heads, we’ve been complicit in a culture that rewards burnout and punishes vulnerability.
This World Mental Health Day, Havas South Africa is refusing to look away. With the launch of its 'Your mind deserves a blank space' campaign, the agency is not just raising awareness. It’s demanding accountability.
“We’ve spent years perfecting briefs for brands,” says Provit Chemmani, CEO Africa and Global MD of the Centre of Excellence at Havas Media Network.
“Now it’s time to rewrite the brief for our people. Mental health must be central to how we build, lead, and sustain our agencies. If we don’t make space for it, we lose the very minds that make our work matter.”
The industry’s unspoken crisis
South Africa’s national mental health statistics are alarming. Depression may affect more than a quarter of the population, and three out of four people who need care don’t receive it. Within the marketing sector, the crisis is compounded by a culture of overwork, emotional labour, and relentless performance pressure.
We’ve normalised stress. We’ve glamorised exhaustion. And we’ve built systems that are fundamentally unsustainable.
“Living and leading with ADHD means I have to constantly adapt to how others work,” says Nabiella de Beer, head of PR at Havas Red.
“But what’s often missing is the willingness for others to adapt to how I think and operate. ADHD isn’t a flaw; it’s a different rhythm. And when we make space for that rhythm, we unlock new ways of leading, creating, and connecting.”
Her experience is not unique. Neurodivergent professionals across the industry are navigating environments that lack the language, tools, and empathy to support them. And while diversity is often celebrated in external campaigns, internal inclusion; especially for mental health and neurodiversity is still lagging behind.
The brief has changed
This isn’t just a campaign. It’s a confrontation. Havas, as a marketing agency that shapes narratives and influences culture, is turning the lens inward and asking the industry to do the same. “Your mind deserves a blank space” isn’t just a clever line on a billboard. It’s a demand for introspection and a challenge to the systems we’ve built and continue to uphold.
For decades, agencies have measured success in hours billed, pitches won, and campaigns delivered, while ignoring the emotional toll on the people behind the work. We’ve built environments that reward burnout and punish vulnerability. We’ve expected leaders to be emotionally bulletproof yet offered no support when they crack. We’ve spoken about diversity in our brand strategies but failed to accommodate neurodiversity in our own teams.
These aren’t just oversights. They are systemic failures. And they are costing us talent, creativity, and culture. Havas is not just naming the problem, it’s actively rewriting the rules. The agency has existing neurodiversity training for managers embedding mental health support into its operational framework. These are not symbolic gestures. They are structural shifts designed to protect the minds that power the work.
Do the ads even matter?
We spend our days crafting messages meant to move people, to inspire, to inform, to sell. But in the rush to be seen, we rarely ask: how does it feel to be on the receiving end? For many South Africans, especially younger audiences, the constant stream of advertising isn’t just background noise; it’s emotional clutter. According to eMarketer, only 15% of Gen Z rate their mental health as 'excellent', and more than half say they want brands to support mental health more than any other cause. That’s not a trend, it’s a plea.
Advertising still works. It shapes choices, builds brands, and drives culture. But if the work doesn’t offer value, if it doesn’t uplift, inform, or give people space to breathe, then maybe it doesn’t need to go out at all. In a world where attention is currency, empathy is the only real investment.
This campaign would not be possible without the support of partners who understand that visibility must come with responsibility. Alive Advertising and Relativ Media have generously provided billboard space across Johannesburg, helping us take this message beyond the agency walls and into the public eye. Their commitment to amplifying mental health awareness is not just appreciated, it’s essential.
This is not a soft issue. It’s a hard truth. And it’s time the industry stopped treating it as optional. Leadership development must evolve to include emotional resilience and neurodiversity literacy, not just strategic insight. Productivity must be redefined, because being busy is not a badge of honour,it’s often a warning sign. Mental health must be embedded into the business model, not relegated to the HR manual.
So, as we mark World Mental Health Day, the question isn’t whether we care. It’s whether we’re willing to change.
Are we creating environments where people can thrive, or just survive?
