Publicis Groupe Announces the Creation of saatchi&saatchi duke, a New Entity Combining the Saatchi & Saatchi and Duke Agencies in France

PARIS, May 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Publicis Groupe (EURONEXT Paris: FR0000130577) has announced today the operational alignment of two of its agencies in France: Saatchi & Saatchi and Duke.

The new entity, to be known as saatchi&saatchi duke, will offer shared and complementary services to advertisers, combining the best of both worlds.

This bold initiative links Duke, a pioneer in digital communication, with Saatchi & Saatchi, known best for its creativity and strategic ideas. saatchi&saatchi duke will provide advertisers with a fluid, integrated response to the issues of consistency and effectiveness that brands face in today's context of audience fragmentation and new consumer demands.

The new agency will be managed jointly by Mr. Elie Ohayon, Chairman, and Mr. Stéphane Guerry, General Manager. The 105 employees of the two agencies will work together at the Saatchi & Saatchi site in Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris.

Saatchi & Saatchi is one of the most creative advertising networks. The French flagship agency works with its clients to implement advertising strategies designed to build "Lovemarks", meaning brands capable of attracting deep and lasting consumer attachment. Saatchi & Saatchi's leading clients in France include prestigious brands such as Bel, GDF Suez, General Mills (Old El Paso and Häagen-Dazs), Médecins du Monde, Nexans, Novartis, Piaget, Procter & Gamble (Head & Shoulders, Ariel, Pampers), Toyota and Visa.

Ever since Duke was founded in 1999, the agency has placed innovation and creativity at the heart of its digital strategies, a principle it continues to apply for clients such as Nissan West Europe, the International Olympic Committee, Lindt & Sprüngli, ING Direct, Lipton, L'Institut français, Intel and Laurent Perrier. Duke's expertise is focused particularly on digital strategy consultancy, social media, mobile, campaign design and production, brand content and web sites.

Elie Ohayon, Chairman of the new structure, comments: "By bringing together these two agencies with similar cultures rooted in audacity and creativity, we will develop a fast, nimble and powerful model, and one that is under-represented on the French market. With saatchi&saatchi duke there are no partitions, advertisers will have access to an open platform for the development of new ideas capable of generating a bond that goes "beyond reason". To create this deep-seated relationship, these new ideas must instantaneously transform the behavior of each individual, and, more lastingly, change the perceptions of everyone."

Stéphane Guerry, General Manager of saatchi&saatchi duke, adds: "This alignment is an extraordinary opportunity to rethink and organize the new issues brands face in communication. The strength and attractiveness of the Saatchi & Saatchi network are excellent levers for the development of digital business. With all the talent in the new group we shall offer an innovative approach in terms of thinking and creative expression, with digital at the heart, individuals as the driving force, and technology as our ally."

About Publicis Groupe

Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris FR0000130577, part of the CAC 40 index] is the third largest communications group in the world, offering the full range of services and skills: digital and traditional advertising, public affairs and events, media buying and specialized communication. Its major networks are Leo Burnett, MSLGROUP, PHCG (Publicis Healthcare Communications Group), Publicis Worldwide, Rosetta and Saatchi & Saatchi. VivaKi, the Groupe's media and digital accelerator, includes Digitas, Razorfish, Starcom MediaVest Group and ZenithOptimedia. Present in 104 countries, the Groupe employs 54,000 professionals.

Web: http://www.publicisgroupe.com | Twitter:@PublicisGroupe | Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/publicisgroupe

Contacts

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SOURCE Publicis Groupe