Publicis Groupe Acquires Act Now, Top Sustainability Consultancy

PARIS, January 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Publicis Groupe today announced the acquisition of leading sustainability consultancy Act Now Productions, based in San Francisco.

Act Now is a pioneering sustainability consultancy led by Adam Werbach, one of the leaders in environmentalism and sustainability in the United States. Werbach -- the youngest-ever president of the Sierra Club, who also currently serves on the International Board of Greenpeace -- founded Act Now in 1998 to engage corporations, employees, consumers and the media in sustainability by moving from "shock to inspiration." The consultancy assists companies and their employees to practice sustainability while achieving their performance goals.

Effective immediately, Act Now will be part of the new Saatchi & Saatchi S network, a revolutionary market offering designed to activate corporate and consumer action on a mass scale to address environmental and economic sustainability. Act Now, working alongside the global 650-person shopper and retail marketing leader Saatchi & Saatchi X, will be uniquely positioned to catalyze change in the arena where most purchasing decisions are made - in the store. Adam Werbach has been appointed CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi S and will report to Andy Murray, Global CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi X.

Saatchi & Saatchi S combines Act Now's personalized sustainability solutions with Saatchi & Saatchi's global communications expertise in order to inspire consumers toward making better choices. The new consultancy will integrate with core Saatchi & Saatchi services including brand navigation, planning, creative, media and brand philosophy. Saatchi & Saatchi S will offer sustainability services including analysis and strategic advisory, employee engagement, product and brand innovation, and consumer retail communication. Saatchi & Saatchi S currently has offices in San Francisco and Boulder (Colorado) and plans to open in New York, Chicago, Fayetteville (Arkansas), London and Beijing in early 2008.

Maurice Levy, Chairman and CEO of Publicis Groupe said: "Our motivation in acquiring Act Now - which will take the name of Saatchi & Saatchi S - is not only to better help our clients communicate about the important issue of sustainability. Companies everywhere have a critical role to play in reducing CO2 emissions, in protecting the environment, and in taking corporate social responsibility seriously. The expertise of Saatchi & Saatchi S will allow them to understand these issues in a strategic way and help them find real solutions adapted to their needs, while communicating in an efficient and effective way. I am very proud that Publicis Groupe has once more shown an ability to innovate by bringing these kinds of new services to our clients."

Kevin Roberts, CEO Worldwide Saatchi & Saatchi said: "With Act Now we're going to bring sustainable enterprise to life. Every client sees sustainability as a priority issue and every employee and consumer wants to be part of a bigger idea. Social change is part of Saatchi & Saatchi's DNA. We are committed to world-changing ideas, to creating Lovemarks, to understanding the shopper, and to helping build a sustainable future across all dimensions: economic, environmental, social and cultural. No brand will be truly loved by anyone it touches unless it shares an inspired, sustainable benefit."

Andy Murray, Global CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi X declared: "The economic impact on sustainability has been in the backend products supply process, such as savings in transportation costs and packaging. But we've really never translated that economic value to consumer-forward. Saatchi & Saatchi S is going to lead and reinvent this."

Adam Werbach, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi S said: "Saatchi & Saatchi S is where world changing global communications meets deep sustainability expertise and passion. This is about taking the vision, mission and passion of the people of Act Now to the talents, process, scale, impact and creativity of the people of Saatchi & Saatchi.'"

Publicis Groupe is the world's fourth largest communications group. In addition, it is ranked as the world's second largest media counsel and buying group, and is a global leader in digital and healthcare communications. With activities spanning 104 countries on five continents, the Groupe employs approximately 44,000 professionals.

The Groupe offers local and international clients a complete range of communication services, through three autonomous global advertising networks, Leo Burnett, Publicis, Saatchi & Saatchi and two multi-hub networks, Fallon and 49%-owned Bartle Bogle Hegarty; to media consultancy and buying, through two worldwide networks, Starcom MediaVest Group and ZenithOptimedia; interactive and digital marketing led by Digitas; Specialized Agencies and Marketing Services offering healthcare communications, corporate and financial communications, sustainability communications, shopper marketing, public relations, CRM and direct marketing, event and sports marketing, and multicultural communications.

Web Site: http://www.publicisgroupe.com

Saatchi & Saatchi has 154 offices in 84 countries and employs 7,000 people. Saatchi & Saatchi works with 17 of the top global advertisers. Clients include Toyota, Lexus, Procter & Gamble, General Mills, Novartis, JCPenney, Ameriprise, and Visa. For Procter & Gamble, the world's largest advertiser, Saatchi & Saatchi represents eight of their top ten brands. The company consistently ranks in the top three at the annual Cannes Advertising Festival. The company is positioned as an agency for world-changing ideas that create sustainable and profitable growth for clients. The principal methodology of the company is called Lovemarks, the process of "creating the future beyond brands."

    
    Contacts:

    Publicis Groupe:
    Peggy Nahmany, External Communications: 
    +33(0)1-44-43-72-83
    Martine Hue, Investors Relations: 
    +33(0)1-44-43-65-00

    Saatchi & Saatchi:
    Dawn Rowan: 
    +1-646-510-5232
    Hudson Lines: 
    +1-212-905-3354

Web Site: http://www.saatchi.com