Publicis Groupe folds Publicis India into BBH India

New Delhi: Publicis Groupe has reshuffled its creative brand architecture in India, with Publicis India being integrated into BBH India, even as the holding company globally combined Leo Burnett and Publicis Worldwide under a single new network, “Leo”.

The global consolidation was announced in January 2025 as part of Publicis Groupe’s “Power of One” approach, positioning Leo as a combined creative force bringing together teams from Leo Burnett and Publicis Worldwide across markets.

In India, however, Publicis has chosen a different operating structure. Publicis continues as the group brand in the market, while the company remains focused on its creative agency brands. 

The shift follows the launch of Leo globally, with markets given flexibility to adapt to local needs, and that the focus remains on creative strength and continuity for clients. 

A Publicis Groupe India spokesperson said, “This reflects the changes that took place when the Leo Constellation was launched globally last year, with each market given the flexibility to adapt to localised needs."

At Publicis Groupe India, Publicis remains as our group brand, and we are more committed than ever to our strong creative agency brands, including Leo, Saatchi & Saatchi and BBH.  Our clear focus is on delivering the strongest creative firepower and continuity for our clients across our agency brands, fully consistent with our global architecture,” The spokesperson added.

The India move comes against a broader backdrop of global holding companies simplifying brands and consolidating capabilities, as multinational advertisers push for fewer partners and more integrated delivery. 

Publicis, in its global communication around Leo, had framed the merger as a way to reduce overlap, create scale, and deliver consistent creative output across markets.

India has historically been a relationship-heavy market where client confidence is closely tied to leadership stability and team continuity. 

Within Publicis Groupe’s local setup, BBH India has built a distinct planning-led positioning and has deep, long-standing client relationships, which industry executives see as a key driver for folding the Publicis India business into BBH rather than shifting it under the Leo banner.

The trade-off is that India’s brand map will look different from the global Leo narrative, which could require clearer internal coordination across BBH, Leo and Saatchi & Saatchi in pitches and client conversations.