Regional Group Creative Director
Zikki Montalan is a highly decorated creative leader and strategist with a proven track record of transforming in-house agencies into global creative powerhouses. Currently serving as the Regional Group Creative Director for U-Studio APAC (Oliver), Zikki spearheads creative excellence for Unilever’s diverse brand portfolio across four key Southeast Asian markets.
Professional Impact & Leadership
Throughout his career, Zikki has demonstrated a unique ability to bridge the gap between high-level creative vision and rigorous strategic discipline. His leadership highlights include:
Studio Transformation: At U-Studio Manila, he led a team of over 15 creatives, quadrupling studio revenue by prioritizing creative excellence and securing wins against top-tier network agencies.
AI Innovation: He was instrumental in establishing U-Studio’s AI capabilities, positioning the agency as Unilever’s premier "go-to AI studio".
Regional "Firefighter": As part of the Oliver Black Ops Team, he acted as a regional creative taskforce leader, cracking "uncrackable" briefs, spearheading high-stakes pitches, and mentoring creative leads across APAC.
Global Brand Stewardship: He has managed creative for a massive array of global brands, including Knorr, Dove, Axe, Rexona, Pond's, Closeup, Maya, and Globe Telecom.
Distinguished Award Record
Zikki’s work is consistently recognized by the industry’s most prestigious awards bodies. His recent accolades from 2025 alone include multiple Gold, Silver, and Bronze honors across the SMARTIES, Marketing Excellence Awards, and Kidlat Awards.
Key Award-Winning Campaigns:
- Closeup "Bandersnatch": Winner of multiple Golds in Social Activation and Social Media Marketing (SMARTIES, Kidlat, Marketing Excellence Awards).
- Knorr Sinigang "Raining in Manila": Recognized with Gold and Silver for Brand Experience and Real-Time Marketing.
- Maya "Scamahan ng Mga Scammers": Recipient of Silver and Bronze awards at the Kidlat and APAC Tambuli Awards for Brand Storytelling and Film.
- Globe "A Star Wars Experience for All": Gold winner for Digital Strategy at the Tangrams Strategy & Effectiveness Awards.
