Publicis Groupe's annual “Wishes” holiday video has long featured a comedic double act from CEO Arthur Sadoun and his predecessor Maurice Levy. But 2022's version is a little different; not only does the film shine a light on a more serious subject, but it also features a very special guest star: movie star Michael Douglas.
Following Sadoun's diagnosis with and treatment for HPV-related cancer earlier this year, the film, dubbed “Useful Wishes, ” drives awareness around the Human Papilloma Virus and the fact that there is a vaccine. Douglas, who has also suffered from HPV-related cancer, makes a special appearance.
The film starts off with Levy boasting of a “magnifique” year for Publicis Groupe. But as he reels off the company's double-digit growth and stellar new business results, Sadoun interrupts to remind him that “80% of adults have the HPV virus.”