Two years after he joined X3M Ideas-one of Africa’s foremost award-winning creative powerhouses- as a Creative Director, Mike Miller has been elevated by the agency to the position of an Executive Creative Director.
This comes after a scintillating run by the agency in and beyond the African continent, culminating into its emergence as the most creative agency in Nigeria at the last edition of the Lagos Advertising and Ideas Festival (LAIF) Awards.
Taking to his LinkedIn handle to make the announcement, Group Managing Director and Chief Creative Officer of X3M Ideas, Steve Babaeko wrote: “About two years ago when I had the recruitment chat with Mike to join us as CD (Creative Director), I felt an instant alignment of values. I am glad that I still feel positive about his contributions to the growth of the business. Since joining us we have increased our footprint across the continent to over 6 markets, won more than a few global awards and also clinched Nigeria’s number 1 creative agency title last year. Congratulations Mike.”
Miller also took to his page to write: “Two years ago I jumped on a plane and headed to Lagos, Nigeria to be the CD (Creative Director) of large independently owned agency, X3M ideas, thinking maybe I’d last 6 months and pop back.
“Two years later, and by working with some of the smartest people I’ve met, we’ve grown and spread into 7 other African Countries, and been voted as Nigeria’s No 1 Creative agency. As a result, I am super happy to announce I have been promoted to Executive Creative Director,” he wrote
A self-confessed “ideas man”, Miller has been in the business of “putting ideas” in front of people for over 20 years, from big brand campaigns and cool product launches to hard-hitting retail promotions and information-driven websites, as well as from traditional media platforms to the latest in digital, experiential, shopper, and social. He has also worked in the UK, Taiwan, Kenya and Australia, as well as created work for India, China, Germany, EMEA, North America and many other Asian countries.
He began his career as a Senior Art Director cum Associate Director at DDB Group, Australia in 1989. Afterwards, he’s had brief stints as Head of Art at both Batey Kazoo Sydney and Leo Burnett Sydney between 1997 and 2001. From there, he joined FNL, one of the few privately owned and respected advertising agencies in Australia as a Creative Director and worked in that capacity for four years before leaving to join McCann in a similar capacity. Shortly after, he left to join M&C Saatchi as a Creative Group Head in 2006.
Leaving Australia and the agency divide of business, he headed to Taiwan where he joined consumer electronics giants, HTC as Creative Director, Global Marketing in 2012. Here, he worked for about three years building up an internal agency and launching mobile devices in culturally different markets, before heading into private consultancy and coming to Nigeria to take the ‘X3m’ job.
Born and educated in the United Kingdom, Mike Miller received his degree in Graphics Design and advertising from the Hounslow Borough College.