Dive Brief:
- Publicis Groupe has merged creative networks Publicis Worldwide and Leo Burnett to form new creative unit Leo, per a press release.
- Leo includes about 8,000 creative employees from Leo Burnett and 7,000 from Publicis Worldwide across 90 countries. It will be led by Co-Presidents Marco Venturelli and Agathe Bousquet and Chief Strategy Officer Gareth Goodall.
- The move is intended to help the Publicis agency groups better unite creative with data in an era marked by the rise of generative artificial intelligence (AI).
Dive Insight:
Publicis Groupe’s latest move sees it unite two of its creative networks into a giant entity designed to drive “exponential creativity” in a new era for advertising. Along with nodding to Publicis' lion logo, Leo takes its name from the iconic founder of one of its component parts, similar to how WPP's David takes its name from David Ogilvy.
“I have had the privilege of leading both Publicis Worldwide and Leo Burnett. Since then, other iconic names have disappeared, but I have never believed that creative efficiency should mean fewer brands and fewer operations. It is about big ideas from creative minds that are nurtured by strong agency culture, to have an impact on our clients’ business,” said Publicis Groupe CEO Arthur Sadoun in a statement.
Venturelli, Bousquet and Goodall — the team that helped make Publicis Conseil the Cannes Lions 2024 Agency of the Year — will lead Leo, helping the creative community take advantage of Publicis’ data, tech and media assets. Andrew Bruce, the CEO of Publicis Groupe Canada, will also take on the additional role of chairman of the new group in North America.
“Leo’s global spirit will live and breathe at the local level, with outstanding creative and strategic talent turbocharged by best-in-class data and technology through our country model, to create truly bespoke models for its clients,” Bousquet said in a statement.
The creation of Leo comes as agency holding companies grapple with how to meet client needs around data-driven creative, especially in the age of AI. Publicis Groupe last year announced plans to invest 300 million euros, about $325 million at the time the news was announced, over a period of three years to transform itself into “the industry’s first AI-powered Intelligent System.” The company saw organic revenue increase 5.8% year over year in Q3 2024 and again upgraded its full-year guidance.
The move also comes as the agency world prepares to deal with the fallout of the Omnicom-IPG combination, which is expected to close in the second half of 2025. Publicis has also worked to bolster its roster through M&A, acquiring in 2024 both influencer-marketing giant Influential and independent commerce marketing company Mars United Commerce.
