Maurice Lévy Inducted into the 2019 Advertising Hall of Fame by the American Advertising Federation (AAF)

The American Advertising Federation (AAF) inducted Maurice Lévy, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris : FR0000130577, CAC 40]  into the 70th Advertising Hall of Fame at the Induction Ceremonies & Gala dinner held in New York on Tuesday, April 30, 2019.

The honor celebrates industry legends, who, throughout their trailblazing careers, have distinguished themselves with outstanding, nationally –and globally- recognized professional achievements; remarkable innovations that have changed our industry and our culture; and exceptional philanthropic work both within the advertising industry and in their communities.

The annual event which is among the advertising industry’s biggest and most prestigious, has elected over 250 advertising legends and eight iconic global companies to the Hall since its inception in 1949 and only a handful of non-American or people who never worked in the US.

Receiving the award from Mr. Doug McMillon, President & CEO at Walmart Inc at the event on last Tuesday April, 30 in the presence of a thousand guests from the marketing communications community,  Maurice  Lévy’s induction will see him succeed Marcel Bleustein-Blanchet, the first Frenchman to join the American Industry Hall of Fame in 2008.

This year’s Advertising Hall of Fame inductees also included John J. Dooner, Jr., McCann Worldgroup; Anne Finucane, Bank of America; Michael E. Kassan, MediaLink; Bill Koenigsberg, Horizon Media; Debra L. Lee, BET Networks; Indra K. Nooyi, PepsiCo; and Hector J. Orci, Orci.

Arthur Sadoun Chairman and CEO of Publicis Groupe said: “Maurice Lévy's recognition by the AAF is a tremendous source of pride for all of us at Publicis Groupe and gives us the opportunity to thank him again for his great contribution to the advertising industry, the Groupe and wider society. It also inspires us to continue the extraordinary momentum built by Maurice and go even further in our efforts to partner with our clients for the continued success of their business.”

Maurice Lévy joined Publicis in 1971 as IT Director. It was thanks to his initiative to save the company’s data on magnetic tapes that allowed the Groupe to recover –within a week- from the fire at its Avenue Champs-Elysées office. A pioneer in innovation, data and technology, he has never ceased to guide the Groupe, with the wind in its sails, towards digital transformation. His tireless winning mentality, his quest for performance and his generous passion for clients and creativity have enabled him, during his 30 years at the head of the Groupe, leading it to become the third largest communications group in the world, while multiplying its turnover by 44, achieving market capitalisation by 100 and employing more than 75,000 talents throughout the world.

His fervour, passion and generosity extend far beyond the advertising industry and are reflected in his consistent commitment to society. Across economic, social, cultural and scientific fields, he is fervently committed to the causes that are close to his heart and has been rewarded for his immense commitments and his fight for tolerance. Honored with numerous distinctions and accolades for his contributions to media, business leadership, and tolerance, Maurice Lévy holds the distinctions of Commandeur of the French Légion d’Honneur and Grand Officier of the Ordre National du Mérite.