MIKE JOHN OTTO
EXECUTIVE CREATIVE
DIRECTOR.
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JUST A FEW WORDS
WHO I AM AND WHAT
I DO.

Who I Am

Hi, I am Mike John Otto. I am a hamburg based Executive Creative Director with a design thinking and a purpose based marketing approach. I work and worked for the best agencies such as razorfish, Hi-ReS! and ACNE and for companies such as Deloitte Digital. My clients are brands worldwide with a focus on lifestyle brands and products. My strength and passion lies in creating relevant, mostly digital solutions with a creative, technology and data based approach. I always look for the unseen Story to tell, how to tell it and where to tell it. I believe in Narrative Experiences that convert humans into fans and I aim to change the way brands communicate: by putting the human in the center of all communication. What I am: I am a creative leader, consultant, visual engineer, artist and a brand shaper.

How I work:

The most important question is how to provide something meaningful or valuable to my clients, their audience and followers. Valuable means a teaching moment, an inspiration, or something entertaining. I start with asking why! Why is the first step to find the Brands Purpose. Then I start to use data and do research to understand what the audience drive is. The overlapping field of this two circles is the Passion Point. The shared passion of the brand and humans. This is where brands fit into people’s lives and do more than advertising. The result can be a new service, a product or a narrative experience (a story that becomes your story). It is all about finding solutions that have a deeper meaning and are culture related. Do things that matter!

What I do:

I am working for entrepreneurs, agencies and companies in the field of creative and business consultancy, branded content, Human Experiences and Experience Design. I work hands-on and am experienced in leading complex projects and teams in all sizes and structures. My clients work directly and close with me creating a more personal working relationship. Trust is important to create the unseen! I guide ideation workshops and help in evaluating and refining existing and new ideas. I utilize stories, sketching and wireframes to shape ideas. I create compelling presentations and craft the certain epic look with styleframes, moodboards and storyboards up to high-end execution that can become unseen and epic lighthouses, hero content or a new business changing product. With more than 20 years of professional practice, I gained the experience and had the pleasure of building products, shaping content and creating narrative experiences for some of the greatest clients.

My Clients

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Agencies I worked for (permanent jobs):

razorfish, e7, Interone (BBDO), Hi-ReS!, Philipp und Keuntje, Deloitte Digital, ACNE.

Direct Clients I worked for:

adidas, adidas Y3, Audi, AMG, Armed Angels, Astra, BMW, Bundesliga, Bacardi, Chanel, Fc Bayern München, Fc Chelsea, Fc Liverpool, Fc St. Pauli, Gucci, Hyundai, Inbev, Jägermeister, MINI, Montblanc, Opel, Polestar, Rimowa, Sennheiser, SEAT, smart, Telekom, o2.

Agencies I freelanced for:

AKQA, BBDO, B-Reel, C3 – Creative Code and Content, Elastique, Denkwerk, Hi-ReS!, Neue Digitale, Sehsucht, Saatchi & Saatchi, Scholz & Volkmer, Strichpunkt, North Kingdom, Jung von Matt, Publicis, Mutabor, Mother London.

Lecturer:

Münster School of Design (FH Münster Design), Design Factory International Hamburg, Brand Academy Hamburg.

Long Story short

While studying graphic design at the Münster School of Design, I started my  professional career working as a freelance design student for BBDO Interactive. I then worked as a designer for razorfish in London and later in Hamburg, moved on as an Art Director for Springer and Jacobys’ Digital Spin-off e7 and become then a Creative Director for BBDO’s Interone. I joined Hi-ReS! London and brought them to Hamburg and Berlin. I was a Executive Creative Director at Philipp und Keuntje and worked as a freelance creative director, designer, artist, film director, creative leader and digital consultant and founded the creative collective blackbeltmonkey. Since 2019 I am with the Deloitte Family, working at Deloitte Digital and ACNE as Chief Creative Officer for all german based Studios. But no matter where working, I believe that everybody should have it’s own purpose, a north star to follow. Mine is to help forward thinking brands to change by creating culture driven narrative experiences and services that convert humans into fans.