• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, February 1, 2017

Back in December, Publicis CEO Maurice Levy unveiled his annual holiday wishes video. In that video, he hinted at his successor whom we now know to be Arthur Sadoun. The hint came in the form of a coffee but emblazoned with "I'm the boss" which could not be removed by any of the movers who were busy clearing out Levy's officein the video. A theory was put forth by AdNews' Rosie baker who suggested that it was a reference to the legend of King Arthur and that the coffee mug could only be removed by a person named Arthur.

In addition to that cute little stunt, Levy also announced a contest of sorts. As the video ended it is revealed Levy's office will now be available for rent on Airbnb. The end of the video contained a link to an actual Airbnb listing for the office. It was all part of a promotion to give one lucky winner a 24 hour all-expenses-paid CEO-style experience though it won't be in the actual office.

The contest encouraged people to sign up for a chance to win a day in Maurice Levy's office. Upwards of 4,000 people entered. Those 4,000 people where whittled down by a jury looking for the most creative answer to the question, “What would you do with a day in Maurice Lévy’s office?” Ultimately the jury awarded the prize to DigitasLBi Chicago VP of Technology Keith Soljacich.

Soljacich explained his winning answer, saying, "I wanted to preserve these final months for him as a time capsule through VR. Using a 3D depth scanner, we will scan and digitize the executive office space,
so after retirement he will be able to revisit the office, the desk, the bowl of candy and the view he enjoyed as CEO any time he pleases using a VR headset."

On the cavalcade of interest and Soljacich's win, Levy said, “Who knew so many people would want to spend a day in my office? But truly, I sincerely thank all those who participated in this contest, which made this year’s wishes video something even more memorable. Your entries were humorous, inspiring, creative, heartfelt and most of all, numerous. I am thrilled that the person we chose, out of all the 4,000
entries, happens to be someone from our Groupe. Keith’s entry lived and breathed The Power of One, and Publicis Groupe’s purpose – linking creativity and technology. I am so looking forward to seeing what he’ll be able to create while he’s here so that the experience can be shared by many.”

Congratulations, Keith!