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 fill-the-feed.com.)

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 Huawei Instagram 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 Photokina Instagram channel. A part of this role was the idea, concept and production of a video portraits series starring popular creatives, like Whatforbreakfast, Spathumpa, Konaction, Anniset, Joshjack and LauraZalenga. 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 their Shoot 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 photo series 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 published a 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 the Live Changing Places campaign 2019 in Berlin and Rediscover the World campaign 2017 in California.

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

I shot a Thailand travel print editorial for the German MERIAN Magazin.

Gestalten licensed my Berlin images for their Mr Hudson Explores book.

I did a keynote 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 new SSD hard drive 2019 and My Cloud Home 2018.

For visitBerlin, I promoted their new ABOUT BERLIN App.

For Foundation Beyeler, I shot Ernesto Neto’s Gaia Mother Tree installation at Basel Central Station and documented the opening of the Wolfgang Tillmans exhibition.

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

For Visit Britain, I created content in Newcastle and Manchester.

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

I shot the redesign/rehang of the Bocci showroom in Berlin.

I shot the Chinese 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 the Staatsoper 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 a cinemagraph for Cadillac.

I portrayed the Berlin based artist deerBLN with a cinemagraph for Moleskine.

I created content 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 in Cannes, Nice and Paris.

For Project 1324 from Adobe, I documented the Pictoplasma 2017 event.

I created a time lapse for SONOS.

I created a cinemagraph 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 Magazine editorial and social media.

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

For Toyota, I documented the CHR Festival in Berlin.

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

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

I created a cinemagraph 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 Tokyo to promote their Alpha camera models.

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

I shot the NMD 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 to shot 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 the activation 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 to shoot and create content.

Together with a group of fellow photographers, I shot 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 a photo coverage of the Absolut Art Award in Stockholm.

I shot a photo series and editorial for VIU Eyewear.

I created cinemagraphs for Sennheiser.

I created Berlin inspired designs for a Casetify.

For airberlin, I created 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 a photo 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 the empty department store instameet at Germany's most iconic department store.

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

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

I created content on a road trip through Utah, 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.

I co-hosted an insta-walk for Kodak Moments.

I travelled to Mauritius for Lux Resorts.

I created 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