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Publicis Groupe has announced the merger of its creative networks, Leo Burnett and Publicis Worldwide, into a new entity called 'Leo.' The development is part of the company’s strategy to strengthen its position in a rapidly evolving advertising landscape dominated by technology and artificial intelligence (AI).
Arthur Sadoun, chairperson and CEO of Publicis Groupe, introduced Leo in a video announcement, describing it as a union of "human insights and ideas amplified by data and technology to do more, faster, everywhere."
According to GroupM's year-end global advertising forecast, 'This Year Next Year,' pureplay digital advertising (excluding CTV and digital OOH) is expected to grow by 10%, making up 72.9% of total advertising in 2025 and rising to 76.8% by 2029.
A December 2024 report by consultancy firm Bain revealed that leading retailers, including Amazon and Walmart, implemented AI-powered targeting campaigns during the holiday season, achieving a 10% to 25% increase in ad spend returns.
This trend highlights the growing competition agency holding companies face as they consolidate operations and streamline teams to contend with tech giants for advertisers' budgets.
Sadoun has described Leo as the fusion of “the human vision of the Leo Burnett network and the innovation of Publicis Worldwide.” He characterises the new entity as “HI meets AI,” combining “human insights and ideas amplified by the data and technology to do more, faster, everywhere.”
Leadership structure
Leo will bring together 15,000 creatives across 90 countries under a unified leadership. Marco Venturelli and Agathe Bousquet will serve as co-presidents, while Gareth Goodall has been appointed chief strategy officer. Andrew Bruce, CEO of Publicis Groupe Canada, will also assume the role of chairman for Leo North America.
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Carla Serrano/Marco Venturelli/Agathe Bousquet/Gareth Goodall
In India, Leo Burnett will continue to be led by CEO Amitesh Rao, with Vikram Pandey and Sachin Kamble as its chief creative officers. Rajdeepak Das will serve as chairman for Leo Burnett South Asia and chief creative officer for Publicis Groupe. Publicis Worldwide India will remain under CEO Paritosh Srivastava, managing director Oindrila Roy, and national creative director Aman Mannan.
Carla Serrano, Global Chief Strategy Officer of Publicis Groupe, stated, “Through Leo, we are doubling down on our strategy of strong creative brands, connected to the industry’s only data, media and tech ecosystem. With Publicis as the global group brand we all rally to, we are now accelerating on the Power of One, turning two networks into one constellation.”
Agathe Bousquet, co-president of Leo and president of Publicis France, added, “At Publicis, we have demonstrated time and again the power of the Power of One. 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.”
Marco Venturelli, co-president and chief creative officer of Leo, commented, “We’ve never had so many tools to better understand people and connect with them. Nevertheless, creativity still is, and forever will be, a messy human process. Leo will be a true global community of creative and strategic talents, connected together for a more human way of creating at scale.”
Arthur Sadoun, chairperson and CEO of Publicis Groupe, remarked, “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. In today’s world, it is also about more collaboration and more access to capabilities. That’s exactly what Leo stands for. By unifying the spirit and talent of these global creative communities, Leo will be bigger, stronger and on more doors than ever.”