AUCKLAND, Today: Publicis started in 1926 as a Montmartre hot shop and evolved into a global leader powered by data, technology and creativity. The past century has been full of dramatic reinventions.
One tradition still sticks around: the annual Wishes.
This year, Publicis Conseil – founded by Marcel Bleustein Blanchet – takes charge of bringing them to life.
The film mixes live action with AI tools from the Groupe, telling a story of innovation and resilience that helped Publicis survive war, fire, recessions, tech disruption and a pandemic.
It celebrates the spirit that made Publicis a leader for 100 years, while preparing for whatever comes next.
“A century where we have turned a small hot shop from Montmartre into the industry’s largest holding company over the last two years.” – Arthur Sadoun, Chairman and CEO Publicis Groupe
Watch the exclusive documentary below on 100 years of Publicis featuring Elizabeth Badinter, Maurice Lévy and Arthur Sadoun.
Arthur Sadoun, Chairman and CEO Publicis Groupe commented: “2026 will be a very special year for us, as we end our first century.
“A century where we have turned a small hot shop from Montmartre into the industry’s largest holding company over the last two years. A century that has seen the Groupe rise from the ashes – sometimes literally – three times and reinvented itself many more.
“It is this spirit of resilience that has defined us for 100 years and that is captured in our Wishes: a lion never gives up.
“2026 will also be the year where we enter our second century, the beginning of which will undoubtedly be defined by the rise of AI. This film is a human, historical and technological odyssey, that blends our best creative minds with our unmatched capabilities in AI production to embody our belief that the future of AI is our people.”
About the film
‘A Lion Never Gives Up’ combines live action with GenAI 2D and 3D imaging to recreate moments from Publicis’ past and unlock new creative opportunities.
Around a quarter of the film is live action, with the rest built using AI based on photos, film and archive material.
AI prompt artists and archivists sourced and organised 4,500 real and generated visuals to build 150 individual shots.
The editing process stayed flexible, allowing every shot to be regenerated from scratch rather than locked in at any point.
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