Last year, Publicis Groupe enlisted Snoop Dogg for its annual “Wishes” holiday message last year, touting up its status as the industry’s “top dog.” This year, it’s blending nostalgia and artificial intelligence (AI).
The season’s greetings for staff and clients lands as the agency celebrates its 100th birthday. To mark the occasion, it has unveiled a six-minute film that blends live action with the group’s AI tools to chart its rise from its 1926 beginnings as a small creative shop in Paris’ buzzy Montmartre district to a $20 billion holdco.
“A Lion Never Gives Up” was created over 12 months by a 10-person team from Publicis Conseil, the original agency built by the ad network’s founder Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet.
The video opens with narration by an AI-generated rendition of French musical legend Édith Piaf.
It goes on to chart key milestones in Publicis’ history, from Bleustein-Blanchet’s role in the WWII resistance in the 1940s, to Maurice Lévy rescuing vital files during the 1972 fire that gutted its Champs-Élysées offices, to the upheaval of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Each event is seen through the eyes of Publicis’ Lion marque, a symbol of the three chief executives (CEOs) who’ve steered the company over the last century, including current boss Arthur Sadoun.
Sadoun told ADWEEK the film demonstrates that Publicis has always been about “human ideas,” but highlights how AI can aid production in ways not previously possible.
“If you look at our businesses, we never return to the past; we’re obsessed with what’s next,” he added. “This film is a lesson for everyone at Publicis that whatever is coming, we’ll be ready, because we are not afraid of the future, we know how to handle difficult moments, and we’re constantly reinventing.”
Agathe Bousquet, president of Publicis Groupe France, who oversees Conseil, said Sadoun gave her team “carte blanche” to create the centenary film at the start of 2025.
Around a quarter of the film is live action, with the rest created by AI. Prompt artists managed, sourced, and catalogued around 4,500 images across 150 shots.
“AI can amplify, but it’s our talent that really makes the difference,” explained Bousquet. “That’s part of the message we want to send.
AI arms race
The video lands as Publicis looks to showcase its AI chops in a shrinking pool of competitors.
