Total billings were €3.6bn (£2.2bn) up from €2bn (£1.2bn) in 2000 and included contributions most notably from Saatchi & Saatchi and Nelson Communications. Comparable billings, excluding contributions from recent acquisitions, climbed 8.2% to €2.2bn (£1.3bn).
The company said its best performance had come from North America, where it saw billings increase to 49.5% from 40.8% during the first quarter of 2000. In Europe, revenues slid from 48% to 38%.
The group showed a slight growth in the Asia Pacific region and Latin American business grew 1% to contribute 4.8% of worldwide revenues.
The group picked up more than €800m (£494.7m) in new business during the quarter, after Publicis Worldwide won a raft of new business including Siemens, Iomega, ATA Airlines and Lens Express accounts in the US and Korea Telecom and Renault Samsung in Korea.
Saatchi & Saatchi scooped the Sudameris Bank pitch in Brazil and Fallon Worldwide picked up United Airlines and the Defence Ministry in the UK.
This morning, Publicis shares fell 3% to €35.8 (£22.14) at 11am (BST) on the Paris Bourse.
Publicis also owns media planning and buying agency Optimedia; marketing communications firm Triangle; marketing business Frankel & Company; and ethnic communications and youth target marketing and PR firm Burrell Communications.