
I help forward thinking clients to stay ahead of culture by creating narrative experiences that attract and convert humans into brand fans.
I’m Mike John Otto, a Hamburg and Berlin based Executive Creative Director, Creative Lead & AI Supervisor, Creative Consultant and Creative Tech Artist. I believe in the power of the image. It is the great narratives and images that stay with us. Epic images are as powerful as ever, despite all the floods of information. The power of the image plays just as big a role in politics as it does in pop culture, advertising or art. I call this type of creation Art-Driven Creativity.
Art-Driven Creativity incorporates artistic thinking and references from all conceivable art forms
and helps to develop the unseen and as yet untold.
My strength and passion lies in creating relevant, mostly digital brand experiences with a creative, technological and cultural driven approach in the field of XR, VR, Immersive Experiences and all Web 3 / 4. I describe myself as a Creative that stands in between the unseen narrative brand experience, culture and a tech-orientated approach. Most of my work emerges from the cross-application of common creative teams and collaboration with other inspiring minds from neurosciences, developers, data scientists, artists or film directors, always looking for the unseen narrative to tell, how to tell it and where to tell it and base my work on the methodologies of human-centered design, (pop)-cultural trends and purpose driven communication.
I like to work on a variety of thematic projects that stretch across disciplines, I am able to quickly adapt to the complex and ambiguous variables of a situation, identify insights and understand challenges to create a roadmap to a shared vision that generates value for the customer in alignment with ultimate creative and business goals. My work not only draws upon visual theories and user-centered research but also purpose based marketing, Cultural Analytics, web3 tech and fast changing cultural trends.
I work a lot with AI Tools and do AI Consultancy to advise clients on using AI not just for speed, but for real value — helping them unlock innovation & transformation and deliver meaningful, lasting results. The most valuable skill won’t be fast producing — it will be choosing what goes into production and the final result. Choosing the idea that matters. Choosing the detail that transforms. Choosing the story that resonates. AI without direction is just noise. Vision turns it into meaning. Story turns it into value.
With more than 20 years of professional practice, I gained the experience and had the pleasure of building products, shaping brands and create narrative experiences for some of the boldest global clients. No matter for which brand I am 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 brand experiences that convert humans into brand fans. My creative personality was shaped in the digital artistic design boutique scene, advertising agencies and global consulting firms, where I learned to apply my skills interdisciplinarily. While studying graphic design at the Münster School of Design, I started my professional career working as a freelance design student for BBDO Interactive. In the early dotcom years I started working as a designer for razorfish in London and later in Hamburg, moved on as an Art Director for Springer and Jacobys’ Digital Studio elephant seven and moved on as a Creative Director for BBDO’s famous Interone. I founded the creative collective blackbeltmonkey and joined the award winning Studio Hi-ReS! London as a Creative Director some years later. I was the Executive Creative Director and Managing Director Digital at Philipp und Keuntje, a top ten advertising agency in Germany. I joined the ACNE Family as a Executive Creative Director working then within Deloitte as the Chief Creative Officer for all german based ACNE / Deloitte Digital Studios. My latest Adventure was at Artificial Rome, a creative tech boutique in Berlin where I was ECD and Partner and launched several immersive brand experiences for Diesel, iF Design Award and Bentley.
You can find me as a speaker at Creative and Tech-Festivals discussing the newest technologies and cultural trends, labs to test out the newest XR / VR equipment and judging at ADC, Cannes Lions and many others the recent Metaverse Experiences and at the Factory Berlin to philosophy about newest urban experiences and how brands become sustainable.
Besides being a Creative I am an Artist. In my creative tech inspire Art I transform fragments of design, moodboards, styleframes and layouts I do into analog Art Pieces. Most of the Work is a mixed media between sketches, painting and using a drawing robot that is controlled with processing scripts and feeded with assets of my commercial work. Each piece is a unique work. I do exhibitions across europe. I believe in „Freiheit statt Freizeit“ (a quote by Joseph Beuys). That is why I see my studio and commercial work as one part of my story and my Art as the other part. Both are able to survive and co-influence side by side. Follow me @mikejohnotto
Let’s find out how we can work together to change the way brands communicate and how they stay ahead of culture. Download my CV for additional information.
Follow me @mikejohnotto
CLIENTS I WORKED FOR
adidas / Audi / AMG / Armed Angels / Astra / BMW / BMW Motorrad / Bundesliga / Bentley / Bacardi / Chanel / Cupra / DFB / Diesel / GotBag / Fossil / Fc Chelsea / Fc St Pauli / Gucci / iF Design / Hyundai / Jägermeister / MINI / Montblanc / Neom / Opel / O2 / Polestar / Pringles / Rimowa / Real Madrid / Sennheiser / Suse / Seat / Siemens / smart / Telekom / Telefonica / Y-3 /
What previous COLLEAGUES and clients say
„Mike is a brilliant Creative Director. I worked with him at Philip and Keuntje. He loves excellent art direction and graphic design. He’s got a fantastic combination of creative talent coupled with natural leadership. He was a great mentor. I would recommend him highly for any project.„
Luke Li – Creative Director at Puma
„Mike John Otto is a very good creative guy, an extraordinary art-director and designer. High recommendation, you can expect great work from him.„
Martin Gassner – Managing Director at Accenture Song
„Mike is a passionate and brave creative with undying commitment to ensure the best, innovative and unseen results. He is especially good at exploring new technology, how it works best and best applied in future projects. He loves brands and shapes the purpose and story to match it what the target groups want.“
Uwe Greunke – Global Brand Manager at Sennheiser Electronics.
„Your exceptional creativity continues to inspire and impress.“
Katy Kelsey – Global Marketing Manager at Fossil Group.
„I had the pleasure to work with Mike at Deloitte digital/ACNE. Working with Mike means getting several skillsets at once: a great creative director, an artist, a creative strategist and a passionate motorbike nerd and collector. We worked together successfully on projects for Polestar and Suse but he also helped a lot to integrate ACNE at Deloitte Germany.“
Kai Stöcker – Business Director Production at Media Monks.
„I worked with Mike over several years on different global marketing campaigns for our consumer headphones category on client side. It was a real pleasure working with Mike and I want to thank him for his outstanding creativity and professional and very positive attitude that he brought into all projects. He is an excellent storyteller, always striving for new levels and knowing exactly what is resonating with the audience.„
Jessika Petrusch – Director Global Brand at Sennheiser.
„I’ve known Mike for about 10 years now and have always appreciated the collaboration and the rubbing of creative ideas. I know of no other person who understands how to combine creativity, brand management and the mechanics of campaigns so well. In this respect, I can recommend Mike without a doubt for controversial, but very purposeful and profitable discussions on the topics of creativity, brand and execution.„
Uwe Cremering – CEO at iF Design.
CAREER
2023-2025 Partner & ECD, Artificial Rome
2019-2023 CCO, Deloitte Digital
2019-2022 ECD, ACNE
2018-now Founder, Blackbeltmonkey Collective
2014-2018 MD & ECD, Philipp und Keuntje
2011-2013 MD & ECD, Hi-ReS!
2008-2011 Founder & ECD, Blackbeltmonkey Studio
2004 -2008 Creative Director, Interone (BBDO)
2003 AD, elephant seven (Springer & Jacoby)
2000-2002 Art Director, razorfish
In addition to my work in agencies, I also worked as a lecturer at:
2011-2017 Münster School of Design
(FH Design Münster)
2013 Brand Academy Hamburg.
2007-2009 Design Factory International
Awards & JURY MEMBER
During my Career I won over 200 awards such as Cannes Lions, ADC, D&AD, LIAA, Epica, Eurobest, iF Design Awards, Red Dot, DDA, FWA, and many more.
I judged several times at Cannes Lions Mobile, Cannes Lions Cyber, Eurobest, ADC, iF Design Awards and Deutscher Digital Award.
Art EXHIBITIONS
15.12.2022 Part of Markenfilm Art Exhibition, Markenfilm Hamburg
30.11.2018 Part of Tabula Rasa, Oberfett Gallery Hamburg
01.12.2017 Part of Tabula Rasa,
Oberfett Gallery Hamburg
28.09.2017 Bots and Cars Exhibition,
Island Gallery Hamburg
06.04.2017 Mike | Bot,
Oberfett Gallery Hamburg
09/10.07.2015 The Extra Hour Cube
XH Collective Hamburg
MY SKILLS & OFFERING
Creative Lead
Creative & Art Direction
AI Supervison
Prompt Artist
Creative Consultancy
Brand Strategy
Immersive Experiences
AR/VR Concepts
Web 3 & Metaverses Concepts
Brand Building/Shaping
Purpose Based Marketing
Narrative Brand Experiences
Digital Campaigns
Styleframes & Epic Looks
Ideation and Workshops
Purpose Based Branding
Product Development
(pop) -Culture Driven Stories
Brand Experiences
Branded Content
CONTACT
+49 173 62 12172
motto (at) mikejohnotto.com
Follow me @mikejohnotto
Hamburg:
Mike John Otto
Bismarckstrasse 60
20259 Hamburg, Germany
Berlin:
Mike John Otto
Yorckstrasse 82
10965 Berlin, Germany
VISIT ME ON SOCIAL PLATFORMS
OTHER LINKS WORTH A VISIT
Please visit the Blackbeltmonkey Collective, Me on Linkedin on Behance or Vimeo.