• WPP faces steep challenge after winning Huawei branding account.

• Publicis Groupe's BBH buys Swedish mobile firm Monterosa.

For his 2013 New Year’s greetings, Publicis Groupe CEO Maurice Lévy presents his wishes to all employees worldwide through his now traditional video on the Publicis Groupe YouTube channel.

His speech has been a little on the long side in the past…so, this year he made a superhuman effort to keep it short and to allow viewers to enjoy this video on their own terms.

This year there is one big difference, when you skip forward (which we know everyone does) you're in for a surprise. He immediately stops his speech and starts shuffling through his notes to find the part of the speech that you want to skip to. It's just one of the many very human interpretations of the standard YouTube functionality taken for granted today.

There are plenty of surprises planned, some of the most fun features are volume and quality. Changing the volume gives you 4 different versions of the speech (shouting, normal, whisper or even Bob Dylan style on mute). Changing the quality of the video results in 6 or 7 hands doing a live change of the quality of the décor of Maurice Lévy's office whilst he continues his speech. If you pause the video he keeps himself busy with a range of activities from dusting Cannes Lions, playing PacMan, watching a laughing baby video on YouTube and even recording a new message for Publicis Groupe answering machine.

Click on : http://www.youtube.com/user/PublicisGroupe/2013wishes

• CHI & Partners has expanded its global network to Asia by forming a joint venture with sister WPP network Bates Asia.

• Publicis Groupe is supporting the launch of a UK business called UPP Advertising that will look to bring together talent from within its UK agencies to provide a full-service offer for clients.