Prose on Pixels (POP), Havas’ AI-powered content at scale agency, has made two strategic hires and instituted a refreshed operational structure that further cements Havas New York and POP US as a fully integrated, creatively-led production entity.
In response to growing client demand for faster, smarter, and more creative end-to-end content solutions, Havas NY is deepening its bench of world-class talent and evolving its approach to production. Since its relaunch in June 2023, Prose on Pixels has been consolidating production capabilities across Havas’ global networks, aligning with the new production-at-scale reality.
Aaron Kovan recently joined as EVP, Create at Prose on Pixels. A seasoned leader in both creative agency and production spheres, Kovan brings decades of experience from top shops including Crispin, VaynerMedia, and most recently, Craft North America at McCann. In this first role of its kind, Kovan will lead POP’s creative evolution and deliver audience-first, data-informed content that meets the needs of today’s dynamic media landscape.
Joining him is Lez Rudge as head of color. An acclaimed colorist and creative director, Rudge has shaped the visual language of countless award-winning projects across advertising, music, film, and installations. He’s collaborated with legendary directors and cinematographers including Spike Lee, Wes Anderson, Darren Aronofsky, and Janusz Kamiński. Known for his intuitive approach and creative partnership, Rudge will help drive an integrated creative vision across POP’s visual output.
“I’m incredibly excited to be joining Prose on Pixels at such an exciting time, as we rethink what content at scale really means in today’s fast-moving media world. With amazing fresh talent and forward-thinking capabilities like Create, Scale, and Personalization, POP is playing an increasingly pivotal role within the Havas ecosystem, driving strategic value through innovation and future-facing production capabilities,” said Kovan. “What really energizes me is how our producers, editors, creators, and artists are getting involved from the very beginning–working side by side with agency teams to shape ideas, build smart content for every platform, and deliver at scale, without losing the craft that makes the work great.”
In tandem with these appointments, Havas is introducing a new hybrid production structure designed to streamline content creation and maximize cross-team collaboration. This will allow Prose on Pixels to be more upstream in the creative development process along with agency producers, allowing for better collaboration and smarter sourcing of talent, including artists, editors and content creators.
The Havas Creative production leadership team will be integrated within POP. Melissa Tifrere, chief production officer, will lead across both entities in the U.S. to unify workflows and ensure creative excellence from concept to final delivery.
“Prose on Pixels’ growth reflects our commitment to evolving alongside our clients to accelerate their growth and deliver meaningful results.” added Steve Netzley, global CEO, Prose on Pixels. “The addition of Aaron, Lez, and Melissa is a massive step forward in our ability to scale innovation and offer seamless, integrated audience-first production solutions that meet today’s content challenges head-on as well as bring the top talent together creatively.”
“Creative agility and production excellence are more essential than ever,” said Dan Lucey, co-CEO and chief creative officer of Havas NY. “With Aaron and Lez on board, and Melissa helping us connect the dots across teams, we’re building a future-forward content model that keeps creativity, quality, and speed at its core.”
These strategic moves align with Havas’s Converged strategy and its broader $400 million global investment to fuel transformation across media, content, and creative–delivering integrated solutions that break down silos and push the boundaries of what brands can achieve.
