Ugo is a multi-disciplinary creative director with 15+ years of experience working in creative agencies around the UK and Europe. Founder and Creative Director of creative consultancy &Ugo, now Merry Galelli and currently raising early stage investment for SMUG, a potato chips brand launched in 2023 after 2 years of R&D.

Merry Galelli has been operating since 2018 as a creative service, working across strategy, brand identity, content creation and experiential. Work includes the global launch of "The House of Peroni", an experiential platform activated across multiple cities worldwide, featuring collaborations with Michelin-starred chefs and top-tier artists. Ugo also led the UK launch of the Fernet Branca family portfolio and directed a cinema ad for the iconic Venetian spritz, Select Aperitivo.

Beyond his consultancy work, Ugo is the founder and chef of Short Road Pizza, a charitable initiative established during lockdown 2020.
This project focuses on fostering community connections through the shared joy of pizza.

Prior to becoming a co-founder and CD at Merry Galelli, Ugo worked in many top creative agencies from Milan to London and Amsterdam.

Some of his clients include Peroni Nastro Azzurro, Campari, Fernet Branca, Diageo, Pernod Ricard, Barilla and Unilever.

Ugo has worked with:

House Specials

  • Ideas are Ugo's forte. With an integrated approach, he tackles brief after brief, ensuring every creative response works seamlessly across all touchpoints. As a highly skilled Art Director and experienced copywriter, Ugo delivers sleek outputs and never an ugly deck. All inclusive.

  • Ugo takes a collaborative approach to every brief, from defining the right insights to creating compelling opportunities. By working closely with clients, he nurtures partnerships rather than simply offering a service.

  • With years of design practice and expertise, Ugo ensures that every final product is meticulously crafted and looks outstanding. Recently, focused on branding, collaborating with a range of startups and well-established brands to create compelling identities.

  • Unafraid to leverage the power of AI, ensuring that the approach is always ethical and guided by meticulous creative direction.

  • Hailing from a generation of restaurateurs, Ugo offers expert advice on creating food experiences, from culinary insights to comprehensive experience design.

Awards