How MikeTeevee is helping in-house teams create their best work
Set up in 2011, MikeTeevee is a creative and production partner to some of the biggest brands in the world, helping them with creative projects and navigating an ever-changing industry
In-house teams within brands are now a recognised force in the industry, credited for making creative work that can match the calibre of the best agencies and studios. Yet when Ellen Utrecht set up MikeTeevee in 2011, with the specific purpose of helping teams within brands to create their own campaigns, it was, as she acknowledges, “a bit ahead of its time”.
“I came from an agency background,” she says. “And when I left the agency side, I felt there was like a growing need for production expertise on the brand side. There was so much more content being created, and brands just wanted more ownership, they wanted to create their own content fast but also adapt their content. It was the rise of YouTube … and agencies just weren’t doing the change fast enough, so I stepped into that niche.”
It’s worth remembering that at this stage there could be some snobbery in the industry about creative work being made in-house, with in-house teams often seen as a less dynamic option for creatives compared to working in agencies. But with her experience at KesselsKramer in Amsterdam, where she spent nine years, Utrecht was already aware that different approaches could result in great work.




