Who We Are

We are 6,000 people and 26 agency brands.
We unite through the Power of One to solve client challenges, and celebrate our different agency cultures and points of view.

Power of One working for our clients

We believe in our agency brands and their unique cultures, points of view, work and people. They are what our clients choose and our people belong to. They are our business.

But we also believe in openness, partnership and support across our Groupe so that we can deliver the best possible answers for our clients. That’s why we’ve worked hard to develop and grow a culture where everyone feels comfortable helping each other out in service of our clients. All of our people know what all of our agencies and specialist capabilities do and who to call if their client needs something that they can provide. That’s the Power of One.

And we’re proud to be part of the 88,000 people who do this for our clients all around the world, connected by Marcel, our one of a kind AI platform that makes this so easy for us.

Our leadership team

Learn more

Our leadership team creates a culture of excellence and collaboration, ensuring the delivery of world-class ideas and solutions for every one of our clients.

Our history

MARCEL BLEUSTEIN IS BORN

1906

A Leo by birth and by nature. The youngest of nine children and the son of a furniture salesman, nothing predicted his eventual phenomenal success in Advertising. Not particularly studious, with average results, Bleustein knew how to “read, write and count.” His favourite pastime was running around the streets of Montmartre - “the streets” as he called them, “of common sense.” It was an excellent apprenticeship, one that set him in good stead for the future, and made him a connoisseur of the common man.

A 20-YEAR-OLD MARCEL BLEUSTEIN CREATES AN ADVERTISING AGENCY

1926

With 50 000 Francs - the equivalent of €7622 / $8500 today. He calls the agency , taken from the French word for Advertising – Publicité and the number 6 from 1926 – the year he founded the company. Bleustein set up shop at 17 rue du Faubourg Montmartre, in Paris. And just like that, the world’s third largest communications’ group was launched.

RADIO SENDS SHOCK WAVES IN PARIS

1929

The arrival of TSF sends shock waves throughout France, revolutionising society. Marcel Bleustein had the foresight to recognise the incredible impact radio would have on reaching the consumer. He made the rounds of private and public stations across France, flying his own private plane.

MARCEL BLEUSTEIN PIONEERS THE FIRST-EVER RADIO ADVERTISEMENT

1930

Consumers are hooked and Publicis quickly achieved national recognition and a reputation for creating incredibly catchy slogans.

PUBLICIS STARTS TO ACQUIRE CINEMAS

1935

Publicis starts to acquire cinemas, used to broadcast information from Radio Cité. It was also the year that Publicis joined forces with Havas, its main competitor, to found “Cinema and Advertising,” the first French media sales house. Meanwhile, true to form and in keeping with his “respect for the consumer and freedom of choice,” Marcel Bleustein worked on laying down rules for the Advertising industry. He helps create the French Federation of Advertising the very same year.

EVERYTHING ACCELERATES

1936

Radio, cinema, press... Marcel Bleustein creates the first multimedia offer. In response to new demands, he tailors media plans to various targets and just like that, Marketing is born.

MARCEL BLEUSTEIN CREATES RÉGIE PRESSE

1937

Marcel Bleustein creates Régie Presse, an Advertising sales house, and increases his visits to the USA, convinced that rational methods can be applied to the creative process.

WAR IS DECLEARED

1939

War is declared and so begins the dark years for both France and Publicis.

WORLD WAR TWO FORCES PUBLICIS TO CLOSE

1940

Radio Cité is taken over by the Nazis and Publicis, identified as a Jewish business, was forced to close. Marcel Bleustein became an active member of the Resistance under the name “Blanchet.”

MARCEL IS READY FOR PUBLICIS’ REBIRTH

1946

Surrounded by his old employees, he sets up the new Publicis at 65 Champs-Elysées. The first activity that got off the ground was Régie-Presse due to the enormous number of newspapers that sprouted up. It was the golden age of the press before the rise of television. True to his friends, Marcel Bleustein, intervened to save France Soir, a huge deal in the press industry of the 1950s. While the Advertising industry was slow to get up and running, the loyalty of Bleustein’s pre-war clients helped him revive his business.

PUBLICIS IN GROWTH

1947

Publicis grows quickly, thanks to a resurgence of prosperity and partnerships struck with iconic brands: Colgate-Palmolive, Weil, Sopad-Nestlé and Shell.

PUBLICIS STRIKES DEAL WITH IFOP

1948

Marcel Bleustein contacts E. Dichter, an American specialist in motivational studies. He’s convinced that scientific and empirical analysis of behaviours, and of the future, will be extremely useful “decision making tools.” Publicis becomes the first French agency to strike a deal with IFOP (Institut français d’opinion publique) and to acquire a department dedicated to Studies and Research.

ADVERTISING INDUSTRY BOOMS

1955

The Advertising industry explodes as the consumer becomes king. Publicis wins many major campaigns in quick succession. It grows from 26 employees in 1946 to over 100 by 1950, to 207 by 1955.

MARCEL BLEUSTEIN CHANGES NAME

1954

The founder of Publicis officially adds his Resistance pseudonym, Blanchet, to his name becoming Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet.

PUBLICIS SURFS A WAVE OF PROSPERITY

1956

From products to image, from Advertising to communications

PUBLICIS MOVES TO CHAMPS ELYSÉES

1958

Marcel Bleustein Blanchet’s dream comes true as Publicis moves to 133 Champs Elysées and the Drugstore opens. Publicis continues to innovate as mass consumerism takes hold. It is communications that start to mark the difference as the agency starts to create increasingly tailored strategies.

PUBLICIS DIVERSIFIES ITS OFFER

1961

Publicis has considerably diversified its offer. Concepts, strategies, communication techniques.Publicis lays the foundations for modern communications. Advertising is on top. New major clients, such as L’Oréal and Renault, entrust their image to the agency. They will still be with Publicis 50 years later.

VAN CLEEF & ARPELS CREATE THE PUBLICIS LOGO

1966

In 1966, Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet asks Van Cleef & Arpels to create a gift for its employees. It creates a lion’s head surround by 14 sunrays. In this symbolic year of the two “6s” Van Cleef & Arpels creates the Publicis logo, without even realising.

With its new HQ, its new logo, its historic clients and pioneering spirit, Publics has laid the foundations of a successful company.

PUBLICIS HIRES MAURICE LEVY

1971

Publicis hires a young IT professional, Maurice Lévy.

A COLLABORATION OF MINDS

1976

The beginning of a long and fruitful collaboration between Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet and Maurice Lévy, his future successor. One created Publicis, the other will accelerate worldwide growth.

PUBLICIS STRENGTHENS PORTFOLIO

1980

Publicis now covers 12 cities. Driven by the evolving demands of clients who want an extended offering, Publicis strengthens its portfolio to offer direct marketing, PR, recruitment advertising, corporate communications, financial, health, new technologies consultancy, media activity and production.

PUBLICIS GROWTH IN EUROPE AND THE US

1984

23 offices in Europe and the US, adopt the Publicis brand.

PUBLICIS NAMED TOP GLOBAL AGENCY

1986

Publicis’ growth strategy really pays off as Publicis is named one of the top 20 communications' groups in the world

AGENCY TRANSFORMATION

1987

Bleustein-Blanchet transforms the agency’s structure, one that is fit for two men, who will soon become inseparable: Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet becomes chairman of the supervisory board, while Maurice Lévy is made chairman of the management board.

SECOND EUROPEON NETWORK FORMED

1993

Publicis takes control of the FCA agency and forms its second European network.

PUBLICIS EMBRACES THE INTERNET

1994

In 1994 - Publicis embraces the internet and the online recruitment of talent begins. The internet will plunge the world into the third Millennium.

THE DECADE ENJOYS MANY STANDOUT CAMPAIGNS

1995

FCB attempts to take control of Publicis, which
swiftly breaks up the alliance. For Maurice Lévy, keen to support clients, it is vital that Publicis creates its own worldwide network – one that is independent and boasts a comprehensive offer. Development is accelerated. By the end of 1995, Publicis is present in 76 countries, 130 cities and ranked 7th in the world.