Old Spice, Nike and McDonald's Swinging Baby: The Work That Made Michael Chin

Michael Chin is a creative director at BBH Singapore. He started his advertising journey in 2014, quickly developing a knack for making shit happen, and telling great stories: oftentimes with film.

Working across different sectors from mobile to finance to public services, he formed the world’s fastest band, tattooed a baby in the face, and shot (filmed) F-16 fighters in mid-air from the back of a C-130 military plane.

All of that led to BBH in 2022, where he’s played a leading role in global campaigns for Samsung, most notably helping to launch the brand into its AI era with the Galaxy S24 and S25.

So… who is this guy? Someone who believes that the best work always has a point of view. It says something that makes you feel something. Or think something. About the brand, or the world, or a trend, a behaviour… Something. Honestly, everything else is noise.

The ad from my childhood that stays with me…

Michael> There are two that come to mind.

First, the 1996 McDonald’s TVC with the baby on a swing. I was just seven when it aired, but I totally got it. Super simple, yet super iconic.

Then there’s Nike’s Euro 2004 commercial. I remember how all my friends were imitating what the players did – putting the ball through each other’s legs and shouting “Ole!” It’s a great example of an ad that entered the zeitgeist and became part of culture.

The ad that made me want to get into the industry…

Michael> Immortal Fans from Brazil, where they got football supporters to become organ donors by pledging that whoever inherited their organs would go on to support their team.

I saw this at the end of my internship, right before I went back to school. And it opened my mind big time in terms of what ‘advertising’ could look like.

The creative work that I keep revisiting…

Michael> Rocket Car by Old Spice, because I love the writing to bits.

“The most valuable lesson I have ever learnt is that if you fill your brain with knowledge, then there won’t be any room for dreams”.

Lol, words to live by.

My first professional project…

Michael> A Mother’s Day film for Singaporean telco StarHub asking young people to add their Mum on Facebook. Everyone was worried about getting stalked, but I’ve always believed that Mum means well and… what’s the worst that could happen?

The piece of work that made me so angry…

Michael> There isn’t one piece in particular... But there’ve been times when the work became so convoluted, it no longer had an idea. Ticked many boxes, but absolutely nobody remembered it. Ugh.

The piece of work that still makes me jealous…

Michael> Diesel’s Go with the Flaw. The anthem film was a true craft masterpiece. One for the ages. And it was such a fertile idea, leading to so many fun executions like 'DEISEL Go with the Fake' and 'Be a Follower'.

The creative project that changed my career…

Michael> I was blessed to start my career working on StarHub, which was one of the region’s most creative accounts in the mid to late 2010s. Working alongside some incredibly talented CDs, I created some truly memorable work and got my first taste of going viral – at least locally.

I wouldn’t say there’s one specific project that ‘changed my career’, but The World’s Fastest Band was the first biggish piece I did that was more than just a film. It taught me to be creative not just in coming up with stories or ideas, but in how you approach a brief.

The work that I’m proudest of…

Michael> A film called Birthmark. I wrote it as a junior in 2015 and finally made it in 2020 after trying to sell it many times for different projects and clients. It proved to me what I always thought: good things come to those who push.

I was involved in this and it makes me cringe…

Michael> 🤐🤐🤐

The recent project I was involved in that excited me the most…

Michael> Everything I’ve done at BBH. Especially the Samsung stuff for Galaxy S24 and S25.

The work is on a totally different scale and the learning’s been off the charts. I’ve been lucky enough to work with some incredible bucket-list talent from around the world; I’ve even worked with Doctor Strange!

Galaxy S24 Ultra | Enter the Circleverse

Galaxy S25 Ultra | A New Galaxy is Born

Galaxy S25 Ultra | Museum Date