Observed Signal · May 14, 2026 · Rebranding · Source: persoenlich.com News · Impact: 1/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Publicis Zurich Rebrands to Leo; Samuel Wicki Leads
Publicis Zurich and Publicis Lausanne have been rebranded as Leo Zurich and Leo Lausanne. Samuel Wicki, a 45‑year‑old creative with experience at Swiss and German agencies, is the Executive Creative Director and head of the Zurich location. The announcement and Wicki’s perspective on the new role are presented in a persoenlich.com podcast episode recorded for the ADC Switzerland anniversary series. The piece outlines Wicki’s career path (training and roles at multiple agencies), notes internal leadership alongside Robert van den Heuvel in Lausanne, and credits the podcast production team. The article was published on persoenlich.com on 2026-05-14 and references availability of the podcast on common platforms such as Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Regional agency rebrand and leadership appointment with limited industry impact outside Swiss market; relevant for creative/agency community but not a major AdTech/MarTech platform or policy change.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Publicis Zurich has been renamed to Leo Zurich.
- Publicis Lausanne has been renamed to Leo Lausanne.
- Samuel Wicki (45) is appointed Executive Creative Director and head of the Zurich site (Leo Zurich).
- The story and an interview with Wicki are published as a persoenlich.com podcast episode (part of an ADC Switzerland anniversary podcast series).
- Article publication date: 2026-05-14; podcast available on platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
Connected Companies & Entities
3 Entities mappedRelated Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Publicis Switzerland Rebrands to Leo, Adopts 'HI x AI'
Publicis Lausanne and Publicis Zürich have rebranded as Leo Switzerland and repositioned their working model around "HI x AI" (Human Insight x Artificial Intelligence). Leadership says the change is more than a name swap: it integrates creativity, strategy, data and technology to deliver faster, more personalized and scalable solutions. Leo Switzerland counts over 50 employees, represents 25 nationalities and 21 languages locally, and is part of the global Leo Constellation (about 15,000 employees) and Publicis Groupe Switzerland (over 350 employees). The agency emphasizes upskilling rather than layoffs despite greater AI use — estimating 60–80% AI usage in the conceptual visual phase — and highlights access to Marcel, Publicis’s internal AI/collaboration platform (noted as connecting 108,000 employees worldwide). Samuel Wicki has joined the Swiss operation; Robert van den Heuvel remains a senior creative leader involved in the transition.
Pablo Schencke: Agency Journey and ADC Triumph
Pablo Schencke, Executive Creative Director (ECD) and Partner at Thjnk Zürich, is profiled in a persönlich.com feature tied to a new episode of the '50 Jahre ADC' podcast. The piece highlights Thjnk Zürich’s award success at this year’s ADC with the 'Ortsschilder' campaign and traces Schencke’s international advertising career — born in Chile, studies in Chile and the USA, creative roles at agencies including Leo Burnett (Chile), 180 Grados, Jung von Matt/9 (Hamburg), and later roles in Switzerland at Spillmann/Felser/Leo Burnett, Jung von Matt Limmat, Publicis and Thjnk Zürich. The podcast series celebrating ADC Switzerland’s anniversary is produced by persönlich Verlag with support from Migros Supermarkt AG and is available on the publisher’s site and major podcast platforms like Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Credits list Matthias Ackeret (moderation), Corinne Lüthi (production) and Christian Beck (distribution).
Christoph Wieland to Become New CEO of Communicaziun.ch
Christoph Wieland, aged 35, will become the new head of the Swiss communications agency Communicaziun.ch starting January 1, 2027. He joins from the Flims-based agency Quant, where he spent seven years managing strategy and marketing mandates for SMEs, municipalities, and companies in the hotel, tourism, and industrial sectors. Wieland brings over 13 years of experience in brand management, marketing, and sales, and is noted for driving AI integration in organizational, marketing, and sales processes. He succeeds Roman Benker, who has been leading the company on an interim basis since July. Founder Armin Spescha will remain on the board of directors. Communicaziun.ch employs over 70 staff across three locations in Ilanz, Chur, and Glarus, offering services including strategy, public affairs, marketing, creative, film, photography, web and app development, events, and print.
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