My name is Ellen Page by marriage, some of you know me as Springer. I still answer to that, since it is tattooed on my person.
I grew up in Alabama, my dad was a rocket scientist and my mom a nurse. I didn’t inherit the math gene, or the one that prevents fainting at the sight of literally anything, so creative it is.
After 20 years in this business, what still gets me up in the morning is making something – helping brands and humans, mostly humans actually, make things. As a creative director, I lead teams to and through ideas, and if all goes well, together we make things. More them than me, I’m mostly there for moral support. And snacks. Anyway together we all get to make things that drive results, fuel questions, cause disruption, change behaviors, or even the world. Who’s to say?
I’m also a wife, a dog mom and have an unhealthy obsession with college football and college jam bands, not necessarily in that order.
I’ve been lucky to have worked around, met some incredible people, and for me, come back to the belief that great work, great people and great fun are the true measures of success.
Work
Freelance, Creative Director, Art Director, Designer
June 2025 - Present
Projects include Halo Top Light Ice Cream, Blue Bunny Mini Swirls, Butterfinger Ice Cream bars, Friendly’s, and University of West Georgia.
EP & Co.
VP, Creative Director
March 2019 - June 2025
Led all creative for Havertys since inception of the partnership in 2020. Collaborating closely with brand strategy, we developed and launched the “We Furnish Happiness” brand campaign, which was instrumental in the first ever reported $1 Billion sales year in company history. Grew the Havertys business through strategic insight, relatable messaging, and a multi-channel targeted media approach.
Also led all creative for the Bojangles account since inception of the partnership in 2019, seeing the brand through a full company re-brand, establishing a brand voice, tone, and visual excellency standards, as well as led the brand through it’s “most effective product launch to date” when launching Bo’s Chicken Sandwich.
Led and won creative pitch for General Mills/Nature Valley and ESPN College Gameday, and ran all creative for the ESPN College Gameday account.
Other notable clients include Lowe's, Old El Paso, Tempurpedic, Synchrony and pro-bono account Worth Rises.
Founder of the EP + Co. community hot sauce shelf. IYKYK.
McKinney
Creative Director, ACD Art Director
May 2014 - March 2019
Led all creative for Nationwide Financial, which included both B2C and B2B campaigns, strategically positioning NF as a leader in Financial Services across both audiences.
Sold the agency's first campaign for ESPN's College Football Playoff, which seeing as I live and breathe college football makes sense, giving birth to the “When it comes to Who’s In, Everything Matters” campaign.
Was able to use my powers for good and give the gift of literacy through a partnership with AdCouncil, Dollar General Literacy Foundation and a whole bunch of awesome people who cared enough to support the effort.
Other notable clients include MSNBC, CarMax, TuneIn, Samsung and Marpac/YogaSleep.
GSD&M
ACD Art Director
September 2009 - April 2014
Oversaw creative duties for Southwest Airlines, including brand campaigns, product campaigns, brand identity, targeted regional campaigns and miscellaneous projects. Helped to evolve the Southwest brand into the new grown up airline and establish it in the marketplace as the leader.
Other notable accounts include PGA Tour, Jarritos, Marshall's, Ceasars and Harrah's.
Freelance, Secret Weapon
Art Director
October 2008 - September 2009
Primarily worked on QSR brand Jack In The Box’s “Jack’s Back” campaign. Produced several broadcast tv spots and led the creative for the newly minted jackinthebox.com. Oversaw more action packed hours shooting food than I could count, and am highly skilled in “how to make tomatoes glisten” and “what tricks to use for fluffier buns”. TLDR; proficient in tabletop food photography.
Venables Bell & Partners
Jr. Art Director
June 2005 - August 2008
Advertising bootcamp for me. Sold a 19 spot package with my Jr. writer for PG&E within the first 6 months of our tenure. Fast forward to Greg Bell teaching me everything I needed to know about making TV commercials.
Was given the opportunity to concept and design a fresh, new look for financial giant Barclays, which was executed across all media platforms including TV/Video, OOH, Print & Digital. I also focussed on the day-to-day creative for iShares and iPath, including snack-able video content and industry-publication print advertising. Needless to say, print was very much alive at this point and I continued to get schooled in all things photography, OOH & print production. I worked with award winning photographers, I looked at actual photo books, I spent more time at the light box than I knew was possible, and I soaked up every bit of it.
D&Y
Creative Coordinator
1997 - 2003
My life line during college and briefly after, D&Y is a national physician recruiting firm specializing in placing physicians and nurses all over the country. Working as a marketing assistant and moving my way up to Creative Coordinator I learned a wealth of marketing and advertising skills. I began my layout experience here, designing direct mail, print ads for medical journals, collateral and conference booths. I managed all ad placements, assisted in coordinating over 22 conventions per year, and other day-to-day duties within the marketing department.
It was also here that I realized how much more I wanted to do and left in the summer of 2003 for portfolio school. My mentors here taught me how to adult, along with life long professional skills that I carry with me today.
School
the Creative Circus
Art direction
June 2003 - May 2005
University of Alabama - Huntsville
BSBA Marketing
Minor Studio Art/Graphic Design
Late 90’s - 2001
People who like me
( I think)
John Cornette, CCO EP + Co, john.cornette@epandco.com
Lyle Yetman, Co-CCO Mckinney, lyle.yetman@mckinney.com
Jay Russell, CCO/EVP GSD&M Advertising, jay.russell@gsdm.com
Paul Venables, Founder & Chairman VBP, paul@venablesbell.com