This year has been a stellar year for Publicis. But rather than celebrate those achievements, the group is leveraging the impact of its annual wishes film to drive awareness around the Human Papilloma Virus.
Despite the fact that 80 per cent of all adults will contract HPV at some point in their lives, for far too long cancers related to this virus have been hidden, shushed, stigmatised. They have therefore become a pervasive silent killer.
This is a particularly personal theme for Publicis Groupe CEO Arthur Sadoun as he was diagnosed and treated for HPV-related cancer earlier this year.
HPV is linked to a significant rise in cancers in both men and women, despite the availability of a highly effective vaccine. While some countries have made vaccination of young people against the virus a top priority, awareness remains relatively low across the wider population.
Joining Publicis chairman Maurice Lévy and Sadoun in this year’s wishes is Hollywood A-lister Michael Douglas who also went through HPV-related cancer, to encourage everyone at Publicis, and hopefully beyond, to protect themselves and their loved ones from this preventable illness.
