César Castaño
César Castaño
Executive Creative Director
Monks
COLOMBIA
Biography
César is the Executive Creative Director at Monks, bringing 14 years of experience in creativity and innovation. He has worked with leading agencies like BBDO, Ogilvy, and MullenLowe, blending problem-solving with a passion for entertainment, data, pop culture, and Social Media world. This approach has shaped impactful campaigns for brands such as Coca-Cola, Netflix, AB inBev, HBO, and Spotify.
As Creative Director, César led the Coca-Cola LATAM account for two years, winning Coca-Cola Colombia's first Cannes Lion in 2014. He also collaborated with Spotify to create Casa Spotify Medallo, the platform's first global hub for promoting musical talent. This initiative mentored hundreds of emerging artists alongside GRAMMY-winning producers like J Balvin, Feid, and Maluma, resulting in six original singles with millions of streams. Today, Casa Spotify is a global asset for Spotify, expanding to various regions.
His creative achievements include seven Cannes Lions and four consecutive Young Lions titles, representing his country on the global stage. His expertise in crafting culturally resonant ideas—driven by data, cultural insight, and a strong real-time component—has also been recognized at The One Show, D&AD, the London International Awards, and Clio Entertainment for his work with Netflix, along with multiple accolades at regional festivals across Latin America.
He has served as a jury member at major festivals including Dubai Lynx, New York Festivals, The One Show Young Ones, El Ojo de Iberoamérica, and Young Lions Colombia.