Margot Helfter’s journey to landing the Executive Creative Director role at HOMERUN in France has been an epic one. From freelance to indie agency to hold co. From Australia to Paris. She’s traversed every sector of ad land and the world. Along the way, she led creative work for major brands including Leroy Martin, EDF, Adidas and the French Road Safety Authority and has sat on numerous industry juries, including the Cannes Lions, the One Show and French Art Directors Club. 

Today, Margot heads up HOMERUN’s creative studio, helping the Paris-based independent agency combine creation and consultancy for clients’ gain in relevance, iconicity and profitability. As a recent addition to the Worldwide Partners’ Next Gen Council, Margot joins other indie agency rising stars in informing and developing future-focused strategies for our network.

We asked Margot ten questions to learn more about her background, what excites her about the advertising industry, and what independence means to her.  

WPI >> Where did you grow up and where do you live now?

Margot >> I was born and raised in Paris, France, where I still live today. But I’ve always loved exploring new places, I spent a year traveling around the world, and I also had the chance to work in New York for a while, which was an amazing experience. Those moments really shaped the way I see creativity and collaboration.

WPI >> Three words to describe your personality.

Margot >> That’s tough, I asked around and got eight different answers. But let’s go with: radiant, empathic, driven. I’ll spare you the rest… for now.

WPI >> How did you end up in the advertising industry?

Margot >> I think I've always loved it, even as a kid. I used to watch a French TV show called Culture Pub, and I'd wait for it every week with excitement. When there was nothing on TV, I'd just watch the commercials. I was fascinated by how you could tell a whole story in such a short amount of time. Later, I studied business and then advertising, and I naturally specialized in digital at first. I started working in the industry when I was 23 — which means I've now been in advertising for 17 years. And I still love it.

WPI >> What excites you about the advertising industry? What pisses you off?

Margot >> What excites me is that everything starts with an idea. The rules are always shifting, new platforms emerge, and culture keeps moving which means we never get bored. I love the challenge of creating ideas that connect emotionally, instantly, and memorably. When it works, it's magic.

What pisses me off? Meetings. Then meetings about meetings. Then follow-ups to those meetings. Sometimes it feels like we spend more time aligning calendars than aligning on ideas.

WPI >> What was your first job and what did it teach you?

Margot >> My first job was as an art director in a small agency, there were barely 10 of us. Which meant I had to do a bit of everything: concepting, art direction, execution, even strategy. It was a real creative bootcamp.

It was also the rise of experiential websites, and I had to dive in, learn fast, and adapt. It taught me to be resourceful, curious, and never afraid of new formats. Honestly, it was the perfect place to learn by doing and I loved it.

WPI >> What is a book, movie, TV show or podcast that you find inspiring?

Margot >> The Truman Show really marked me. I was 13 when it came out, and it completely shook me. It was the first time I realized that what we see isn’t always the full story, and that questioning the system around us is not only allowed, but necessary. It’s stayed with me ever since, especially working in an industry built around image and perception.

More recently, I’ve been inspired by a French podcast called “Vivons heureux avant la fin du monde”. It explores how to live meaningfully in times of crisis, ecological, social, emotional, through personal reflections, interviews, and real stories. It’s not about advertising, but it’s full of insights on how people think, change, and make choices. And that, to me, is at the heart of what we do.

WPI >> What is one of the favorite projects you have worked on at your agency?

Margot >> I've been at the agency for 9 months, but it's been a very busy 9 months. One of my favorite projects, beyond regular client work, was our agency rebranding. We went from Rosbeef to HOMERUN and it's not every day you get the chance to work on something so big: the entire identity, the website, the vision, the launch film. The results have been amazing. We've received fantastic feedback, the website has won several awards, and the launch film, made with very limited resources, turned out really well. It was a huge creative challenge and a great team effort, and I'm very proud of what we accomplished.

WPI >> What do you hope to get from being part of the Next Gen Council? What do you hope to accomplish?

Margot >> For me, joining the Next Gen Council is about being part of an awesome community of passionate young talents who really want to make a difference at and with Worldwide Partners. I'm excited to expand my network globally, connect with people from different agencies, and discover new ways to collaborate and innovate.

I also want to help build stronger connections between agencies, encourage collective creativity, and support each other. Ultimately, my goal is to help evolve the network so it better supports our partners, their clients, and makes the employee experience even better.

WPI >> What does independence mean to you?

Margot >> To me, independence in an agency means having the freedom to make bold decisions without endless layers of approval, which, after 10 years working in a big network, feels like a breath of fresh air. It's about agility, being able to pivot quickly, and owning your work from start to finish.

Sure, it also means carrying more responsibility, but it's worth it. Independence means having the power to shape the agency's culture and work in a way that truly reflects our values and honestly, that's priceless.

WPI >> What would you be doing if you weren’t in advertising? 

Margot >> After 10 years at BETC, (Havas group) I started considering a career change. Like many people, I wanted to find more meaning in what I do. So, I trained in various educational approaches and founded a company called Bas les murs, which helps children grow up connected to nature. I still work in advertising at HOMERUN, but alongside that, I regularly run workshops for kids. So if I weren't in advertising, I'd probably be working in education, though luckily, I've found a way to do both today.

This article is an installment in a series where Worldwide Partners speaks with members of our Next Gen Council. Check back for more interviews with our council members.