Publicis Groupe’s annual end of year video is usually a madcap celebration of the achievements of the year. This year’s Wishes are sprinkled with humour but Maurice Levy and Arthur Sadoun are using its reach for a sober purpose – to raise awareness of a HPV-related cancer.
HPV-related cancer is a personal topic for Sadoun, having been diagnosed and treated for it earlier this year. And the two heads of Publicis Group had brought in a VII (Very Important Influencer) to make their 2022 Useful Wishes message, please get vaccinated, stick. This VII also went through HPV-related cancer.
Despite the fact that 80% 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. 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.
Publicis Groupe’s 2023 Wishes film was created by Le Truc, in partnership with Prodigious.
About HPV
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a very common group of viruses that is linked to several types of cancer, including nearly 100% of cervical cancers, 90% of anal cancers and 60% of oropharyngeal cancers (cancers of the back of the throat). Most people, up to 80% of adults—regardless of ethnicity, race or gender—will be exposed to some type of HPV in their lifetime. HPV is very easily transmitted between people because there are few signs or symptoms. There currently is no treatment for the virus itself. The only reliable method of protection against it is vaccination, which can prevent the most common types of infection. Education and raising awareness is the first step to reducing risk. The earlier you get the vaccine, the more you’re protected. Vaccination is available until the age of 45 in certain countries, including the U.S. and Australia. Find out more about HPV and HPV-related cancers by clicking here.
