Hi there, I’m Michael aka Berlinstagram

12 years ago I downloaded this brand new app called Instagram and it changed my whole life. Shortly afterwards, I left my permanent job as a creative at an advertising agency to focus entirely on Instagram as a freelancer - and never looked back.

I travelled to 40 countries, met inspiring people and had the opportunity to work with a wide range of diverse brands.

Read what happened in the last 8 years, in chronological order:

Consultation Work

Together with Stephan Hamacher as strategist, and I as creative director, we consult successful brands, develop content strategies, manage social channels and execute hub, hygiene and hero formats. For more information visit SUPERFEED.

Since February 2021, we have been working with o2 Music Germany for the o2musicde Instagram Channel. As part of the team of Intermate, we set the direction of the social media strategy and its operational implementation. Additionally, we had the creative lead for the Festival 2022 Season and executed a wide variation of social media assets, including feature clips of well-known German hip hop artists, like JUJU, Bausa and Casper.

From October 2018 till October 2022, we had the creative lead for the German HuaweiInstagram channel. Our scope included the development of a new strategy and its implementation, management of content creators, channel curation, community management and the execution of hero formats.

From 2018–2019, we had the creative and strategic lead for the PhotokinaInstagram channel. A part of this role was the idea, concept and production of a video portraits series starring popular creatives, likeWhatforbreakfast,Spathumpa,Konaction,Anniset,Joshjack andLauraZalenga. The campaign was awarded with the 2nd place at Deutscher Wirtschaftsfilmpreis 2020. 

Creative Work

Content creation and storytelling for a broad range of brands and clients. 

I am portraying German clubs and its staff in an ongoing series for o2 Music: Hotel Shanghai, Ritter Butzke, EIGHT OH EIGHT, Fusion Club, Call me Drella, Distillery, Anamolie, Bootshaus.

From 2017 till 2021 I had an exclusive long term partnership for mobile photography content with Huawei Germany.

For The European Commission, I took part in the European Year of Rail Campaign and traveled by train to Prague, Budapest, Graz, Munich, Rotterdam, Straßbourg, Basel. Examples: One, two, three, four, five.

I shot the ICC International Congress Center Berlin for Berliner Festspiele.

I created a photo series for Ventozelo Hotel & Quinta in Portugal.

For MPB, I created a connected photo carousel for theirShoot the Sequel campaign; did a equipment storytelling for their Put Kit Back to Play campaign; promoted and was part of the jury for their The Photo and Video Kit Hall of Fame 2021 & 2022.

I shot a photoseries for LOTTO Berlin to promote their Zum Glück Berliner photo contest.

I licensed a set of photos to Visit Berlin, for use in their marketing materials.

I licensed photos to the Berlin TV Tower for their New Beginnings exhibition.  

For Adobe, I did a raffle to promote their Creative Cloud subscription.  

I shot a hybrid online + print editorial of Helsinki for MERIAN Magazin. Examples: One, two, three.

For GetYourGuide, I shot a food and travel series in Bologna. 

For the #chargedwithpassion Campaign of MINI, I shot content in Berlin, Rotterdam, Shanghai and New York. 

I shot a Berlin TV Tower Anniversary special for GetYourGuide.

In May 2019, I publisheda book with best-of Berlin photos on the renowned German publishing house Hatje Cantz.

For E.ON, I shot the Berlin Festival of Lights 2019 and 2020  – examples: One, two, three.  

I created a collage for the Gigacube campaign of Vodafone.

Air Canada licensed 10 images for their inflight magazine enRoute. 

I created content for be Berlin, the official Berlin Capital Campaign – examples:#FreiheitBerlin for Europe 2019#FreiheitBerlin 2017.

For Lufthansa, I shot theLive Changing Places campaign 2019 in Berlin andRediscover the World campaign 2017 in California.

I shot Berlin’s most pretty swimming baths for Berliner Bäderbetriebe – examples: Stadtbad Charlottenburg,Stadtbad Neukölln.

I shot aThailand travel print editorial for the German MERIAN Magazin.

Gestalten licensed my Berlin images for theirMr Hudson Explores book.

I did akeynote speech at the German Influencer conference INREACH 2019.

For MINI, I went to Milan, Shanghai and Beijing to document the MINILiving installations and concepts – examples:Milan 2017,Shanghai 2017,Milan 2018,Beijing 2018.

For MINI, I created content for the #Eckenentdecken Campaign – examples:One,two,three.

For Western Digital, I created content for their newSSD hard drive 2019 andMy Cloud Home 2018.

For visitBerlin, I promoted their newABOUT BERLIN App.

For Foundation Beyeler, I shotErnesto Neto’s Gaia Mother Tree installationat Basel Central Station and documented the opening of theWolfgang Tillmans exhibition.

I shot urban impressions of Hong Kong for Hotel Jen Hong Kong – examples:One,two,three.

For Visit Britain, I created content inNewcastle andManchester.

For Audi Zeitgeist Projects, I created two collages to promote the Symphony of Now Movie:One,two.

I shot the redesign/rehang of the Boccishowroom in Berlin.

I shot theChinese Zhouzhuang Water Town – near Shanghai – for GetYourGuide.

For Cartier, I shot golden Objects in a Berlin setting:One,two,three,four.

For BMW Group Culture, I documented theStaatsoper für alle event in Berlin.

I created content for Visit London – examples:One,two,three.

I created a time lapse  for Ritz Carlton Berlin:One,two.

I created acinemagraph for Cadillac.

I portrayed the Berlin based artist deerBLN with acinemagraph for Moleskine.

I createdcontent for Belsazar.

I shot the new Compass model for Jeep in Berlin and Lisbon – examples:One,two,three.

For French tourism marketing agency We Like Travel, I created content inCannes,Nice andParis.

For Project 1324 from Adobe, I documented thePictoplasma 2017 event.

I created atime lapse for SONOS.

I created acinemagraph for Bang & Olufson.

For HUAWEI, I was  co-host and jury member of the#dontsnapshoot contest.

I shot the NMD r2 Sneaker model for Adidas:One,two.

I created a Porsche photo series for Sleek Magazineeditorial and social media.

I had the honor to shoot Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie before the public opening:One,two,three.

For Toyota, I documented theCHR Festival in Berlin.

For HUAWEI, I did the concept, execution and promotionfor the#veränderedeineperspektive photo contest.

For Moët Hennessy, I went to Paris to document theirThe Fine Mix event.

I created acinemagraph for SIEMENS.

For Opel, I shot their new Mokka X model on a road trip through Scotland – examples:One,two,three.

For Star Alliance in cooperation with Marriott and Lufthansa, I went on a around-the-world trip with self-chosen itinerary, creating content in Budapest, Singapore, Seoul, Chicago, Toronto and Buenos Aires: www.staralliance.com/en/michael-schulz,https://traveler.marriott.com/berlin/berlinstagram-michael-schulz-instagram-photos/.

For Austrian Railway ÖBB, I documented a train trip through Austria – examples:One,two,three.

I created and executed two Instameeta for Sofitel Berlin – examples:One,two,three.

I travelled to Istanbul to create content for Turkish Airlines – examples:One,two,three.

For Sony, I travelled – together with a group of international photographers – to Tokyoto promote their Alpha camera models.

I created content for JSH Hotels & Resorts in Italy – examples:One,two,three.

I shot theNMD r1 Sneaker model for Adidas.

For Infiniti, the luxury car brand of Nissan, I shot the new Q30 Model – examples:One,two,three.

For the City of Düsseldorf, I shot their new subway line before the opening – examples:One,two,three.

For Bentley, I went to Palm Springs, California toshot their new Bentayga SUV.

For Memmo Hotels, I shot their Lisbon destination – examples:One,two,three.

I created content for Courtyard by Marriott Hotels:One,two.

I did theactivation and I am part of the jury for a photo contest of Berlin's most renowned photo exhibition place C/O Berlin.

For Contiki, I went on a trip from South to North Vietnam, created content and did an account takeover –see the photos here.

For Aeroflot, I went to Manchester with  fellow Photographers toshoot and create content.

Together with a group of fellow photographers, Ishot a photo series for the opening of the new Bocci Design Showroom in Berlin.

For Michelin, I shot the Mercedes-AMG GT around Berlin locations and created content for their and my own Instagram channel – examples:One,two,three.

For Absolut, I shot aphoto coverage of theAbsolut Art Award in Stockholm.

I shot aphoto series and editorial for VIUEyewear.

Icreated cinemagraphs for Sennheiser.

I createdBerlin inspired designs for a Casetify.

For airberlin, Icreated cinemagraphs and co-hosted their #airtramp event.

For Explore Canada, I shot a photo series of its the Atlantic provinces Quebec and New Brunswick  – examples:One,two,three.

I photographed Berlin locations for the October print issue of Condé Nast Traveller –example.

I consulted Deutsche Bahn in terms of influencer selection, activation and storytelling:Example posting. The submissions for their photo contest #missionbahnhof grew massively after involving 20 German Instagrammers.

For American Tourister, I travelled to Barcelona with two fellow photographers to create content for Online and Social Media:Combined results.

For Adidas, I did the concept, activation, execution for an Instagram photo contest around the launch of their Tubular sneaker:Content created,Instagram contest kick-off.

I shot aphoto series in Berlin for smart, named “urban originals”.

For Levi's, I created the initial idea, rough and fine concept, influencer selection, activation and execution of the Instagram photo contest#makebikeportraits, one of the most successful brand photo contests on Instagram at that time (2015) – mentioned as best practice by several marketing publications. The campaign hashtag#makebikeportraits is still being used and counts over 20,000 tagged photos so far. Half a year later, I executed the first #levisinstameet for Levi’s in Amsterdam:Take a look at the stunning results and quality of photos that were created,kick-off second contest,kick-off first contest.

For Moët Hennessy and KaDeWe, I created and executed theempty department store instameet at Germany's most iconic department store.

I travelled to Tajikistan for StarwoodHotels Sheraton – examples:One,two,three.

I travelled to Dubai for StarwoodHotels Sheraton – examples:One,two,three.

I created content on a road trip throughUtah, USA for America Unlimited – examples:One,two,three.

I created content for an activation campaign for Movel – examples:One,two.

I licensed Berlin images to UBER.

For Generator Hostels, I invented the hashtag #whileinbetween, which became a common used hashtag for travel and was officially honored by Instagram as best practice for business. Till this day, I still curate best-of submissions on the@whileinbetween Instagram account as a side project.

For Generator Hostels, I created two events in Berlin and Copenhagen – read the case study here.

Ico-hosted an insta-walk for Kodak Moments.

Itravelled to Mauritius for Lux Resorts.

Icreated a movie clip for Spotify promotion.

For Moët Hennessy, I documented an event with Obey Shepard Fairey – examples:One,two.

I created content for Visit Zurich - examples:One,two.

For Universal Pictures, I created content for activation for their movie Katakomben – examples:One,two.

I went to Venice for Bellini – examples:One,two.

I went to Bologna for Visit Bologna – examples:One,two,three.

I co-hosted the #everchangingBerlin Instameet together with a group of local Berlin Instagrammers – one of the biggest Instameets worldwide.

Before I decided to focus entirely on Instagram I worked many years as a digital creative in the fields of online marketing, user experience and information architecture.I studied Electronic Business at the University of the Arts Berlin and hold a Master of Arts. 

PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT ME, IF YOU NEED HELP IN TERMS OF:

● Content creation

● Instagram content strategy and account management

● Instagram campaign concepts and creative ideas

● Consultation, community insights and expertise

● You name it…

Just drop me a message at mail@michael-schulz.com or click the button below.

Cheers,
Michael