Publicis Groupe has celebrated its 100th anniversary this year by releasing a six-minute film titled A Lion Never Gives Up that reflects on its growth from a small Parisian agency to a $20 billion global network. The film has been created over 12 months by a 10-member team from Publicis Conseil, the company’s original agency.
The initiative has landed as the company has celebrated the milestone and showcased the evolution of its creative and technological capabilities, as per media reports. The film has blended live action with AI-generated visuals to revisit key chapters of the group’s history since 1926.
The video has opened with narration by an AI-generated version of French singer Édith Piaf and has charted Publicis’ journey through major moments including founder Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet’s role in the WWII resistance, the 1972 Champs-Élysées office fire where Maurice Lévy rescued vital records, and the Covid-19 pandemic. Each milestone has been told through the perspective of the Publicis Lion, representing the three CEOs who have led the company, including current chief Arthur Sadoun.
Around a quarter of the film has featured live-action footage, while the remainder has been developed using AI tools that have sourced and catalogued nearly 4,500 images across 150 shots. The project has aimed to showcase how artificial intelligence has augmented creativity within the network without replacing human talent.
The release has also arrived at a time when Publicis has been emphasising its AI capabilities amid industry consolidation and heightened competition.
As Publicis has stepped into its next century, the company has positioned the centenary film as a symbol of resilience and reinvention, reinforcing its belief that technology, including AI, will continue to elevate the power of human ideas. The group has signalled that while its tools may evolve, its core creative spirit has remained unchanged over the past hundred years and will continue to guide its future.
