PARIS, July 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ —

Publicis Groupe [EURONEXT Paris: FR0000130577] announced today
the acquisition of a majority stake in DPZ, one of Brazil’s leading
advertising agencies. According to the terms of the agreement,
Publicis Groupe immediately acquires 70% of the new agency, and has
the possibility of increasing its participation to 100% over the
next two or three years. DPZ will retain its name and will operate
within Publicis Groupe on a stand-alone basis. The agency
remains under the leadership of its three founders Roberto
Duailibi, Francesc Petit and Jos Zaragoza, and the management of
current CEO Flavio Conti.

Founded in 1968, DPZ is one of the largest independent
advertising agencies in Brazil with approximately 230 employees.
The agency is headquartered in São Paulo, with offices in Rio,
Brasilia and Vitoria. DPZ’s key clients include prominent
international and local brands such as Azul Linhas a reas
(airline), Bombril (cleaning products), Campari, Coca-Cola, Itaú
(banking), Sadia (food and beverage), Vivo (telecommunications).
The agency has seen double-digit organic growth over the past three
years, and DPZ’s 2011 revenue is expected to reach €40 M, with
margins above those of Publicis Groupe’s average.

DPZ has received a long list of industry accolades, making it
one of the most-awarded agencies in Brazil. Known for its
innovative and irreverent style, the agency won its first Cannes
Lion in 1972, and Brazil’s first gold Cannes Lion in 1975.
DPZ has also been repeatedly recognized at the Brazilian
“Colunistas” award, the most important award within the Brazilian
ad industry, as well as the “Cabore” awards (another very important
national award). The agency’s well-established reputation
illustrates its strong and lively creativity.

The history of DPZ is intertwined with the history of Brazilian
advertising. DPZ has not only become an icon for the advertising
industry in Brazil, but also a reference in Brazilian advertising
for the rest of the world. During its 43 years of history, DPZ has
participated in creating prestigious brands and some of the most
memorable campaigns and characters of Brazilian advertising. DPZ
has also served as a university for Brazil’s marketing community,
as many of the country’s leading ad men and women initially trained
at DPZ.

The acquisition of DPZ illustrates Publicis Groupe’s strategic
commitment to expanding its operations in the dynamic Brazilian
market and across Latin America. Today’s announcement is the fourth
transaction for Publicis Groupe this year in Brazil, following the
acquisitions of Tailor Made and GP7, as well as the increased
participation (60%) in Talent Group.

According to the most recent ZenithOptimedia forecasts (April
2011), Brazil will have a 9.5% increase over the course of 2011,
followed by 7.0% and 7.2% growth in 2012 and 2013 respectively.
Brazil is growing fast and is expected to become the sixth ad
market in the world in 2011. Brazil is already Publicis Groupe’s
sixth largest market with nearly 1,500 permanent employees
throughout the country.

Maurice L vy, Chairman & CEO of Publicis Groupe declared,
“Our strategy is to strengthen our two pillars of growth:
digital and fast-growing markets. Brazilalong
with China are of utmost importance to
Publicis Groupe. This acquisition is a key step
of our expansion into this promising
market. DPZ‘s exceptional
creativity and iconic status put Publicis Groupe
in a stronger position to provide the very
best to our clients and to attract talent and grow
organically. We are proud that DPZ – after a
thorough process – chose to join Publicis Groupe,
and we are pleased to welcome the
agency‘s management and teams on board.
We are committed to Brazil not only because of the
exceptional growth of this important market, but also because it is
a formidable reservoir of talent and a country of entrepreneurs
with great brands and ambitious
companies.“

The founders of DPZ, Jos Zaragoza, Francesc Petit and Roberto
Duailibi added, “We are very happy about joining Publicis
Groupe and adding to its global reach and
considerable resources. DPZ sees this association as a wonderful
opportunity for both our teams and our clients, especially given
the powerful resonance of the Publicis Groupe brand all over the
world.”

DPZ Contact information:
AV. CIDADE JARDIM, 280
JD. EUROPA
São Paulo,
01454-900
+55(11)3068-4000
http://www.dpz.com.br/

About Publicis Groupe:

Publicis Groupe [listed on the Euronext Paris Exchange –
FR0000130577 – and part of the CAC 40 index] is the world’s third
largest communications group. With activities spanning 104
countries, Publicis Groupe employs approximately 50,000
professionals and offers local and international clients a complete
range of advertising services through three global networks: Leo
Burnett, Publicis, Saatchi & Saatchi, and numerous agencies
including Fallon, 49%-owned Bartle Bogle Hegarty, and Kaplan Thaler
Group. VivaKi combines digital and media expertise, allowing
clients to connect with consumers in a holistic way, with Starcom
MediaVest Group and ZenithOptimedia worldwide media networks; and
interactive and digital marketing led by Digitas and Razorfish
networks. Rosetta is an autonomous consulting and digital marketing
agency. Publicis Groupe offers healthcare communications with
Publicis Healthcare Communications Group (PHCG, the first global
network in healthcare communications). And with MSLGROUP, one of
the world’s top five PR and Events networks, also provides
expertise in corporate and financial communications, public
affairs, branding, and social media marketing.

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

CONTACTS:

Publicis Groupe
Peggy Nahmany, Corporate Communication         +33(0)1-44-43-72-83
Martine Hue, Investor Relations                +33(0)1-44-43-65-00

DPZ
Eleno Mendonça                                 +55-11-3068-4020   

SOURCE Publicis Groupe