Between them, Youri Guerassimov and Gaëtan du Peloux, have hundreds of international creative awards, including 22 Grand Prix and 46 Lions. Now they add co-presidents of Marcel to heir renown. Their appointment reflects the agency’s determination to reach new heights in creative excellence and strengthen the central role of creativity in Marcel’s model.
The inseparable duo, who celebrate two decades of creative collaboration this year, joined Marcel in 2009 under the guidance of Anne de Maupeou. Since then, they have climbed every rung of the ladder, from senior creatives to creative directors, and eventually to co-presidents of Publicis Groupe’s creative gem.
Gaëtan du Peloux (above right), a copywriter by training, and Youri Guerassimov (above left), an art director by training, began their careers at CLM/BBDO in 2004. They worked primarily internationally, under the guidance of Anne de Maupeou, with the agency managing the advertising budget for Pepsi worldwide.
Guerassimov and du Peloux joined Marcel in 2009, still under the guidance of Anne de Maupeou. Their work has been recognised at all major international festivals, both for creativity and effectiveness. Their 46 Lions and 22 Grand Prix awards include 3 Black Pencils at D&AD, 2 Grand Prix at Cannes, and 2 Grand Prix Effie and they are among the most awarded French creatives of their generation.
Under their leadership, Marcel has established itself as one of the most creative agencies in the industry, ranking first among French agencies at Cannes Lions in 2018 and 2022, and second in the world in the D&AD ranking for 2023. Their leadership has given rise to famous, awarded campaigns such as Inglorious Fruits & Vegetables (Les Fruits et Légumes Moches) for Intermarché, Hack Market for Back Market, and more recently, The Bleues’ Highlights (La Compil des Bleues) for Orange.
“This appointment of these two exceptional talents is a major milestone for Marcel. It exemplifies our commitment to placing a culture of bold ideas at the heart of the agency. Youri and Gaëtan are true ‘Marcel kids.’ They embody a new generation of creative leaders—entrepreneurial, open, curious, and compassionate. It was a natural choice. I feel we’re in for a lot of fun,” stated
Pascal Nessim, co-president of Marcel.
“Youri and Gaëtan are the most esteemed and awarded creatives I know in France. I am thrilled and proud to see them take on more responsibilities within the Group because no one represents the right balance between professional qualities and human qualities better than they do,” added Marco Venturelli, chief creative officer of Publicis France.
“I am so proud of them. In addition to their immense talent, they possess an optimism bordering on naivety that has always guided me, making many things possible. As long as Marcel maintains the spirit of ‘they did not know it was impossible, so they did it,’ they will stand out from the crowd, commented Anne de Maupeou, Chief Creative Officer at Marcel (2008-2020).
Charles Georges-Picot, who has been co-president of Marcel from 2010, is now leaving the agency in the hands of six presidents. The president of Publicis Luxe recently crossed the Atlantic to establish himself in New York and continue to expand Publicis Groupe international activities.
“I have been accompanying the evolution of these two great talents for over 10 years, and their appointment is a logical decision: Marcel is a creative agency, and creatives should be at the helm,” Charles Georges-Picot stated.
