My name is Ellen Page by marriage, so I haven't always been famous. 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 remotely ick, so art director it is!

Professionally, my jam is making things – helping brands, and humans, mostly humans actually, make things. As a creative director, I lead teams and together we make things. 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.

With over 20 years of ad world experience, I've been fortunate to have worked around, met 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

EP & Co.
VP, Creative Director
March 2019 - Present

Lead 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. We continue to grow the Havertys business through strategic insight, relatable messaging, and a multi-channel targeted media approach.

Also lead 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 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. Sold the agency's first campaign for ESPN's College Football Playoff, which if I'm being honest, could've called that, seeing as I live and breathe college football. Other notable clients include MSNBC, CarMax, TuneIn, Samsung and Marpac.

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.

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 Jack In The Box. Broadcast and digital including 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”.

Venables Bell & Partners
Jr. Art Director
June 2005 - August 2008

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. Print was also very much alive and I continued to get schooled on accounts like Barclays, iShares and HBO video. I soaked up every bit of it.

D&Y
Creative Coordinator
1997 - 2003

D&Y is a national physician recruiting firm specializing in placing physicians and nurses all over the country, and my life line during college and briefly after graduating. Working as a marketing assistant and moving my way up to Creative Coordinator I learned a wealth of marketing and advertising skills. It is here I began my layout experience, designing direct mail, 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 life long skills as a professional 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

Paul Venables, paul@venablesbell.com

Bill Bayne, bill.bayne@gsdm.com

Jonathan Cude, jonathan.cude@mckinney.com

John Cornette, john.cornette@epandco.com