A Children’s Book, Documentary and More: Meet Award-Winning Storyteller Ci En Lee

Senior media strategist at Publicis Media Singapore, Ci En Lee is driven by his mission to show the world that it is ok to be different, and to dare to pursue your dreams, no matter how uncertain or unconventional.

Born with dwarfism, Ci En is a huge advocate for inclusivity in advertising and determined not to be limited by the challenges that come with his physical disability. He explores this resilience and self-acceptance in a co-authored children’s book, ‘Short of Nothing’, based on his experience at school. “At the heart of the story is the message that even though we may look, think or behave differently, we all deserve to love and be loved,” he tells LBB.

In his recent documentary, ‘Walk My Own Path’, which aired on national television, Ci En further shares how his journey has created space for others to find their own way. The film won Gold at the World Media Festival 2025 in the DEI category. “I’m thankful for the opportunity to inspire not just Singaporeans but the world by showing that being resilient, overcoming the odds and not giving up is part of the human spirit, and we all have it in us. If I can do it, so can you.”

“Seeing people who look like you on screen, or relating to the characters and being able to connect to a reality or culture or experience that is not commonly shared by others, can be very powerful," he says. "If advertisements and cultures do not shift, society does not shift. I joined the advertising sector because from the onset, I wanted to be a storyteller and tell stories that draw people into my world.”

Discovering his passion for strategy in 2019 when he landed his first role at PHD Media, he now holds experience in both China and his hometown of Singapore. “I’ve lived and worked in Singapore, Shanghai, Jakarta, and Manila as I wanted to experience living independently,” he says. “A commonality is their colonial influences: you get to see what is added, subtracted and constant – an intricate tapestry of cultures that is both indigenous and non-native due to co-opting or intermixing.”

Through all of these experiences, he has learnt to be “an empathetic dragonfly – someone who is able to see things through multiple lenses while having a local touch (often through language).”

Perhaps it is this skill that also helps him spot the latest cultural trends, for which he has a framework: Train, Trace, Test and Triangulate. Devised in order to “spot and codify trends”, the framework is inspired by how healthcare workers conducted contact tracing during covid-19. “It’s relevant to trends as well when they go, well, viral. Using this, I help clients to prepare (NOT predict) for different outcomes and possibilities.”

During the pandemic, Ci En worked on Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi series where the team was tasked with driving viewership and creating “an epic experience” synonymous with the franchise.

“From finding the right media partners to refining the idea, negotiating the budget, and finally working with local government authorities to bring it to life within covid-19 restrictions, this was a project that required great persistence,” he says. “In the thick of it, I probably questioned why I went beyond the extra mile on this, but in the end, it was all worth it. We brought the ‘Power of the Jedi’ into the heartlands of Singapore with a first-of-its kind Star Wars building takeover, which helped the series to become one of the most watched Disney+ original series in Singapore to-date.”

This year, his talent and drive have seen him win the title of Rising Star at not one but two awards: the Singapore Media Marketing Awards and Marketing-Interactive’s 2025 Agency of the Year Awards.

On the future of the industry, Ci En believes “AI will help us to think and question better: intelligence is knowing the right answer, but wisdom is asking the right questions. And second, AI will shape us to have a developer mindset. In the past, we would buy or borrow solutions, but the democratisation of technology and programming now allows us to build – so whenever you look to solve a problem, ask yourself ‘Is there an AI for that?’

“I’ve learned that there is no single correct answer or media plan – what I do today goes beyond media strategy to connect media to tech, AI, creativity and imagination. To me, strategy is an informed opinion on how to win when there are many ways to achieve the desired outcome.”

But the best advice of all? “Just be you. You are not incomplete because you don’t fit the mould. You are you, an entire whole. So don’t become a smaller version of yourself. Sometimes we forget that we are not in the business of advertising, but the business of people.”