Draft: not for immediate release

AVENTIS APPOINTS EURO RSCG WORLDWIDE
AS WORLDWIDE ADVERTISING AGENCY FOR
DIABETES TREATMENT LANTUS®
New MetaMAX Business Unit Created To Deliver Marketing Services Worldwide

New York, NY, January 22, 2003 — Aventis, a leading pharmaceutical company
headquartered in France, has awarded Euro RSCG Worldwide the global advertising
account for the diabetes treatment Lantus®, according to the agency. The
assignment includes advertising, interactive and medical education in France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States and other major markets worldwide. Euro RSCG Worldwide competed against four other major advertising agency networks. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. As part of its “Power of One” strategy, Euro RSCG created a business unit called MetaMAX to provide customized client service and to ensure coordination when appropriate across marketing disciplines and countries. The MetaMAX organization harnesses talent from several Euro RSCG agencies, including Euro RSCG MVBMS Partners and Lally McFarland & Pantello. “Through innovative products like Lantus, Aventis makes a real difference in the lives of people with diabetes. We are proud to work with Aventis to build this global brand and address the growing epidemic of diabetes around the world,” commented Bob Schmetterer, Chairman and CEO of Euro RSCG Worldwide. “In addition, this win validates our ‘Power of One’ strategy launched only seven months ago – that companies benefit when they partner with a unified organization focused on the client’s business goals. We look forward to partnering with Aventis to put our Creative Business Ideas® into action.” Pascal Soriot, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Medical and Marketing at Aventis added, “Aventis is committed to developing unified, consistent educational and promotional programs worldwide. The consolidation of agency accounts should help us achieve this goal. We selected Euro RSCG based on its creative capabilities, global reach and ability to execute plans.” Euro RSCG Worldwide, one of the world’s five largest integrated marketing communications agencies, is made up of 233 offices located in 75 countries throughout Europe, North America, Latin America, and Asia Pacific. Euro RSCG provides advertising, marketing services, corporate communications, and interactive solutions to global, regional, and local clients. The agency’s client roster includes Air France, Danone Group, Intel Corporation, LVMH Louis Vuitton, PSA Peugeot Citroën, Reckitt Benckiser, WorldCom, and Yahoo!. Headquartered in New York, Euro RSCG Worldwide is the largest unit of Havas, the world’s sixth-largest communications group (NASDAQ: HAVS – Euronext Paris SA: HAV.PA). Euro RSCG MVBMS Partners is based in New York, with offices and operating units in San Francisco, Berwyn (Pennsylvania), Westport and Wilton (Connecticut), Boston, Washington, D.C., Mineola (New York), Amsterdam, London, and Paris. The agency provides integrated marketing solutions for some of the world’s most forward- thinking companies, including Intel Corporation, Nestlé, Reuters, Schering-Plough, VeriSign, and Volvo. Its clients are leaders in virtually all major categories, from fashion to financial services, technology to health sciences. Lally McFarland & Pantello Euro RSCG is part of Euro RSCG Healthcare, the world’s third-largest healthcare network, with key clients including Novartis, Pfizer, and Wyeth. Press Contacts Peggy Nahmany Global Communications Director Communications Director Euro RSCG MVBMS Partners 212-886-4210

Source: http://media-cache.havas.com/3226/2003-171.pdf