Jacques Séguéla Honored with the Lion of St Mark Prize –

At the 71st Cannes LIONS, Jacques Séguéla received the Lion of St Mark. This prestigious trophy rewards the dazzling career of the greatest French publicist, currently an advisor for the Havas group.

During the last awards ceremony at Cannes LIONS 2024, Jacques Séguélathe first Frenchman to be awarded the Lion of St Markonly had three minutes flat on June 21 to go on the immense stage of the Grand Auditorium in order to receive his reward and give his acceptance speech. Located within the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès of Cannesthis temple of cinema rolled out the red carpet to receive the founder of the largest French advertising agency, Has.

60 years in the advertising industry

With a career spanning over 60 years in the advertising industry, Jacques Séguéla has produced campaigns for brands emblematic as Air France, Apple, Carrefour, Citroën, Louis Vuitton et Microsoft, as well as political campaigns. This great man has also written numerous bestsellers on advertising. In 2006, Jacques Séguéla claimed to have participated as an advertiser in 1,500 advertising campaigns and twenty presidential elections.

The weight of words, the shock of photos

Jacques Séguéla comes from a family of doctors (his maternal grandmother was the first female surgeon in Montpellier) from Amélie-les-Bains in the Pyrénées-Orientales. At the age of 25, Jacques Séguéla began a career in pharmacy, but his desire to travel led him to abandon a well-trodden path to undertake the first round-the-world trip in a French car. In parallel In 1960 he wrote his first book, The Earth in the Roundwhich would sell 150,000 copies. A few years later, after a brief career in journalism (reporter at Paris Match Or Roger Thérond teaches him the shock of photos, then France-Soir Or Pierre Lazareff teaches him the weight of words). For three years, he will be the editor-in-chief of France Evening.

Euro RSCG

At 33, Jacques Séguéla joins the advertising agency Delpire Then Advertising Axis where he meets the financier Bernard RouxThe agency’s first job was to film the French president. Georges Pompidou directing an engine Mercury in the bay of Saint-Tropez with the slogan “Take the Express and take off”. It will also promote the Catalan senator Gaston Pamsfor the launch of Port-Barcarèsby organizing a concert of Johnny Hallyday on the beach. Shortly after, Alain Cayzac et Jean-Michel Goudard join the agency and RSCG who will become Euro RSCG.

Advertising campaigns and slogan

In 1978, while RSCG is gaining ground, its main competitor, Hasthen launched a smear campaign to which Jacques Séguéla responded with a media stunt by publishing the book Don’t tell my mother I’m in advertising, she thinks I’m a pianist in a brothel. published by Flammarion, this book is the synthesis of a dozen years of experience in advertising. For Carrefourhe created the slogan Free Productswhile for Citroënhe sends down a Citroën AX on the Great Wall of China. Jacques Séguéla is the first advertiser to dare to name a Citroën « Picasso“, to which it was said “the public will applaud, the art world will whistle”. For François Mitterrand he created the famous slogan “ The quiet force ” Then ” Generation Mitterrand« .

Groupe Havas

In 1991, the RSCG merges with Eurocom to form Euro RSCG and becomes Havas-Advertising in 1996. Jacques Séguéla is its vice-president (with Vincent Bolloré shareholder of 20% of the capital ofHas). In May 2010, Jacques Séguéla created Havas Tunisiaby partnering with Ghazoua Ben Alione of the president’s daughters Ben Ali. Jacques Ségéla is part, with Michel Bongrand, Patrick Buisson, Stéphane Fouks, Anne Méaux, Gérard Colé, Jacques Pilhan, Thierry Saussez, Claude Sérillon et Jean-Pierre Thiollet, communications advisors who have played or are playing a notable role, in the political, economic, social or cultural fields, on French territory. Today Yannick Bolloré is the CEO of the Groupe Havas (subsidiary of Vivendi) and Raphael de AndréisPDG de Havas Media Group France, but Jacques Séguéla remains their advisor.

Advertising icon

About Jacques Séguéla, Philip ThomasPresident of Cannes LIONS, said: “Jacques Séguéla turned 90 this year and still comes to the office every day to work on advertising campaigns. This advertising icon is bold, passionate and creative with an immense sense of humor. At Cannes LIONS, he came more than fifty times. In 1975, he was a member of the jury at Venice Festival and wins in parallel His first Lion pour Paris airports. His stories and experiences are captivating. As an industry, we are delighted that he changed careers from pharmacy to advertising as we have all benefited from his creativity.

Advertising is all about ideas

Commenting on being awarded the Lion of Saint-Mark, Jacques Séguéla said: “After 60 years of festivals, I have seen this industry evolve every decade, but one thing has never changed: advertising is, has been, and always will be about having an idea. I have had the great honor of working my whole life not to sell products, but also to make brands eternal. I’m incredibly humbled to be recognized with this iconic award and I share it with all my fellow creatives who support their ideas, choose optimism and give brands the one thing that will keep them alive – soul. »

New specialized health communication network

Yannick BolloréChairman and CEO of the group Has, announced during the celebration of Jacques Séguéla’s 90th birthday in February, the launch of a new communications network specialized in health. Named simply “Jacques”, the entity will be divided into around ten agencies in the coming months, including Jacques New York, Jacques Paris, Jacques Shanghai et… Jacques Londonwithin the global network Havas Health & You. And to those who are surprised by this choice, Has recalls that Jacques Séguéla is a doctor of pharmacy and comes from a family of doctors.

Superhuman, the future of health and well-being

This new network reminds us that the Groupe Hasis part of the continuity of the initiative Welltainmentlaunched by Has on the occasion of Cannes Lions 2023 to put creativity and entertainment at the service of health inclusion, as well as the relationship Superhuman revealed at CES 2024 has Las Vegas on the future of health and well-being.

Cannes LIONS, the international festival of creativity

THE Cannes LIONSotherwise called the International Festival of Creativityis a festival around advertising which takes place every year in the city of Cannes at the legendary Palais des Festivals et des Congrès. Today it is one of the most prestigious events in the advertising and communications sector. Every year, the Cannes LIONS receive more than 20,000 advertising works from all over the world to be evaluated by an international jury. 5,000 advertising films, 10,000 advertisements and posters, 1,500 internet titles, 800 media solutions and some 1,200 marketing proposals are judged by more than 9,000 international advertisers. It is also during this festival that the most influential personalities in the advertising industry meet. THE Cannes LIONS allow all participants, whether experienced or beginners, to collaborate, share ideas and progress through their creativity and common passion.

www.canneslions.com