Otto Bell

Otto Bell is chief creative officer of Courageous, Turner’s first-ever brand studio with global capabilities for marketers across CNN, HLN and Great Big Story. In this role, he leads a self-sufficient, full-time team of award-winning brand journalists, filmmakers, designers and producers dedicated to the creation of compelling brand storytelling.

Since joining Turner to help launch Courageous in 2015, Bell has been focused on pioneering the evolution of branded content. From breaking new ground with the production of Human by Design, a global conference sponsored by Square Enix on the future of human augmentation, to the recent 4K VR “live ad” execution in partnership with Volvo during the solar eclipse, Bell and his team continue to harness new distribution platforms and innovative technologies to produce transformational brand experiences.

Prior to joining Turner, Bell was the creative director and a founding member of OgilvyEntertainment. During his eight years at Ogilvy, he developed, produced and directed landmark television and digital campaigns across five continents for a myriad of lead brands.

Under Bell’s leadership, the Courageous team has been honored with notable recognition, including Digiday Video Awards’ “Best Video Publishing Partner for Brands” in 2018, as well as Turner Ignite and CNN’s first Cannes Lions and Adweek’s “Grand Arc Award" in 2017. In addition to his industry accomplishments, Bell debuted his first documentary, “The Eagle Huntress,” to wide acclaim at Sundance in 2016, and was named one of Variety’s “Top 10 Directors to Watch.”

Bell is a graduate of the prestigious WPP Fellowship program and holds a masters in english literature from Oxford University. He is a Green Card holder for “Outstanding Contribution to American Arts and Media,” as well as a member of the Producers Guild of America and Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. A native of Northern England, Bell currently lives in Manhattan.

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