Otto Bell named Senior VP and Chief Creative Officer of CNN

CNN Worldwide has hired Otto Bell to lead its creative marketing department.

Bell will become senior vice president and chief creative officer, reporting to Kristine Coratti Kelly, executive vice president and head of global communications. He will oversee on-air and off-channel branding and marketing for all CNN Worldwide businesses.

Bell is the founder and chief creative officer of Courageous, the commercial branding studio for CNN. He has worked with CNN teams on hundreds of campaigns for hundreds of advertisers.

Prior to joining Courageous, Bell helped establish and operate Oglivy’s entertainment practice, developing new media models and producing brand-funded television series. Partners included BBC World News, CNBC, Nat Geo and Discovery. He previously spent three years working on WPP’s “Fellowship” program in the areas of brand positioning, brand planning and copywriting in London, Paris and Shanghai.

Bell is also a documentary filmmaker and producer. His feature film debut The Eagle Hunter, premiered at Sundance and was sold to Sony Pictures Classics. The project grossed over $4.4 million at the worldwide box office, was nominated for BAFTA, PGA and DGA awards and was shortlisted for an Oscar. another project The poisonous pigs of Fukushima, premiered on Telluride and was sold to Vice and was nominated for a News and Documentary Emmy. Another function The bad librarians of Timbuktuis in post-production.

Bell will be based in CNN’s New York office.