Publicis Groupe reflects on a century of pioneering spirit

Creative agency Publicis Conseil is celebrating its 100th birthday with this powerful short film, which traces its roots back through a century of innovation and resilience.  

Titled New year. New century. New wishes, the creative seamlessly blends approximately 80% AI footage generated from 4,500 archival photos with 20% live action scenes, bringing the story to life with a bespoke and human touch.  

Using the most advanced tools at its disposal, Publicis takes us on a dynamic, inspiring journey from the perspective of its iconic lion emblem through world war, fire, economic downturns, technological revolutions and a global pandemic before arriving at today’s landscape of new challenges to come. 

Harnessing real actors for authenticity and using AI to realise moments that would otherwise be impractical to produce, the film demonstrates how generated imagery can serve as a powerful creative tool when it is guided by clear intent and human craft. 

There project also includes a documentary with Elizabeth Badinter, Maurice Lévy, and Arthur Sadoun.

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."