Publicis Groupe Acquires Flip Media, a Leading Middle Eastern Digital Agency

PARIS, February 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Publicis Groupe (EURONEXT Paris: FR0000130577) announced today its acquisition of Flip Media, a leading digital agency network in the Middle East.

Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Dubai (UAE), Flip Media has more than 100 employees across the Middle East and India, working on a number of iconic brands. The agency provides end-to-end solutions, including digital strategy, digital design/production, content/delivery and technology/platforms. It is responsible for award-winning creative and pioneering technology.

The agency will be folded into Leo Burnett Worldwide and will retain its name. Its founders, Martin Diessner and Dinesh Lalvani, will continue to be involved with the new entity as non-executive directors and Yousef Tuqan will remain CEO, reporting into Leo Burnett's Middle East North Africa CEO, Raja Trad.

"Flip Media is a strategic and cultural fit for our company, and we believe its service offering of digital strategy, design, production and content delivery will be a perfect complement to the incredibly strong digital presence we have built across the region," said Tom Bernardin, CEO of Leo Burnett Worldwide.

"This acquisition is the logical next step for Flip," said Dinesh Lalvani and Martin Diessner, co-founders, Flip Holdings Ltd. "Integrating with a large network gives us the opportunity to provide a strong foundation for through-the-line communications strategy with digital at its core. We've been lucky to have the talent and dedication of a strong management team, which has been integral to the success we've had. Being part of Leo Burnett and the larger Publicis Groupe family will bring with it access to more clients, people and resources, all of which are key to take a company like ours to the next level."

About Publicis Groupe

Publicis Groupe [Euronext Paris FR0000130577, part of the CAC 40 index] is the third largest communications group in the world, offering the full range of services and skills: digital and traditional advertising, public affairs and events, media buying and specialized communication. Its major networks are Leo Burnett, MSLGROUP, PHCG (Publicis Healthcare Communications Group), Publicis Worldwide, Rosetta and Saatchi & Saatchi. VivaKi, the Groupe's media and digital accelerator, includes Digitas, Razorfish, Starcom MediaVest Group and ZenithOptimedia. Present in 104 countries, the Groupe employs 50,000 professionals. Web: http://www.publicisgroupe.com | Twitter:@PublicisGroupe | Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/publicisgroupe

About Leo Burnett Company, Inc.

Leo Burnett Worldwide is one of the world's largest agency networks and the parent company of Leo Burnett and its marketing services arm, Arc Worldwide. Leo Burnett, a HumanKind communications company, has a simple and singular approach: put a brand's purpose at the center of communications to truly connect with people. Leo Burnett, one of the most awarded creative communications companies in the world, creates "Acts, not just Ads," for some of the world's most valuable brands including The Coca-Cola Company, Kellogg's, McDonald's, Hallmark, Samsung, P&G, Allstate and Nintendo. http://www.leoburnett.com

About Flip Media

Founded in 2003, Flip Media FZ-LLC, the Middle East's largest independent interactive agency, provides holistic digital solutions that deliver. From websites to digital branding, social media assets and multi-platform applications, the team at Flip brings their collective expertise in digital strategy, development and design, to bear on every project. From complex web portals to mobile applications, content creation and delivery, and building technologies and platforms, Flip has established itself as the most widely recognized digital creative agency in the Middle East. http://www.flip.me | Twitter:@flipmedia | Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/flipholdings

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

Leo Burnett
Amy Cheronis                                  +1-312-220-5996

SOURCE Publicis Groupe

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