April Speed is an Ozark-based creative with years of content marketing experience in consumer brand advertising.
Strategically-focused on building strong and inspiring brands, she is consistent with delivering effective messaging through social channels. She leads creative teams in developing highly effective and engaging content in the areas of retail, hospitality, foodservice and package goods.
April’s expertise is rooted in storytelling—both visual and written. Skilled in the digital arts, April uses her abilities in brand advertising and journalism to spin a scroll-stopping story in :15 seconds flat.
Want to hear more? Give me a buzz at:
email: aprilspeed@mac.com
linkedin: linkedin.com/in/aprilspeed/
Brand: A Fictitious Aquarium
Content Creator : April Speed
The following is a mock ‘case study’ of a fantasy aquarium that utilizes a short-form marketing strategy designed to quickly convey a single clear message on social platforms. Basically, wherever your audience hangs out online, short-form content is being consumed.
Accomplished in storytelling, both visual and written—with mad skills in video production, content creation, writing and graphic design, my experience in consumer advertising really shines through in this sea-kissed digital space.
The Brand: Camp Flea
Proprietors: April & Paul Speed
The brand, Camp Flea, is based on April’s Ozarkian roots, Paul’s Southern upbringing and their shared love of Table Rock Lake. The antique mall is located in the heart of historic Ozark, Missouri and is base camp to over 250 vintage vendors.
Camp Flea is the brainchild of April Speed where she develop the vintage-lifestyle persona into a modern yet old-school retail experience for all. The evolution happened early on by embracing a social-first marketing strategy and filling it with fun, thought-provoking posts and content. What could be better than simultaneously scrolling AND strolling antiques?
Most of the daily content encourages people to get out, thrift and have some fun. Campy, cool and moody, you’ll find everything from MCM to 70s to turn-of-the-century.
See Camp Flea in action. Visit our Instagram: @campfleaantiquemall
The Brand: Barnwood Forest, Airbnb
Super Host + Social Media: April Speed
The barn at Barnwood Forest is one of the few surviving American heritage barn examples in Ozark, Missouri. In 2024, the structure was converted into short-term rentals for overnight guests visiting Finley Farms and attending weddings at the Chapel.
As Super Host, I manage the Airbnb’s social media accounts by filling Instagram, Facebook and site bookings with welcoming content wrapped in a woodsy vibe. The results have been amazing.
The Brand: The Cabin at Anglers Bend, Airbnb
Super Host + Social Media: April Speed
Perched on a gently sloping hill overlooking Table Rock Lake, the Cabin at Anglers Bend is a retreat for families to gather, slow down, and plug-in to the sanctuary of lake life.
Once a tiny bait shack, the cabin provided tackle and sundries for the guided Jon Boat tours on the White River prior to the damming of Table Rock Lake in 1957. Although the cabin retains its nostalgic campy atmosphere, it offers many modern comforts and amenities.
Today the old cabin continues to delight with a whole new generation of lake-seekers. Through social platforms and booking sites, it is my duty as Super Host to capture the charming story of The Cabin at Anglers Bend and encourage guests to book this magical place.
The Brand: Bush’s Beans
Creative Director + Art Director: April Speed
Photography: Paul Speed Studios
The power of the humble bean. My team at the Marlin Co. carefully designed the Bush's Best Beans campaign to evolve the Bush brand across all media. A strong brand heritage and simple pure ingredients have kept Bush's on trend. This branding campaign won multiple awards and grew the bean-love in both foodservice and social media.
Art Educator: April Speed
I spent one year teaching art. It was one year of pureness. Cleansing of the mind and soul.
My philosophical approach to art education is both art focused and student centered. Art builds critical thinking, dexterity and imagination abilities which are skills that are needed to be successful in our complex and diverse world. A holistic approach, broad and wide, is where we will live during lessons with curiosity in nature as the starting point.
Here is a collection of my students’ art. Let’s start with Dale Chihuly and understanding his abstract saltwater glass formations by applying it to Missouri’s freshwater ecosystems.
Producer: April Speed
Photography: Paul Speed Studios
Besides my role as Creative Director I am also Producer for Paul Speed Photography – An upscale commercial photo studio specializing in editorial & food photography for local and national brands. I serve as producer, studio manager and stylist on all aspects of production. In other words, I take care of everything and everyone. I’ve found that a shaken, not stirred dirty martini takes the edge off things in the studio. Cheers!
Producer: April Speed
As Producer for a commercial photography studio, I manage every aspect of production from project leads & bidding to pre-production, sourcing and hiring. I work closely with the clients, agencies and photographer to assure the best possible captures while staying on time and on budget.
Brands that I have serviced: Starbucks, Bush’s Beans, Tyson Foods, Unilever, Hellman’s, Knorr, Splenda & Blue Bunny.
See the results here: @paulspeedphotography
Visual storying telling has been a constant in everything I create and produce. Seeing an idea come to life through film, digital, or social media makes me the most happy. As a creative, I have worked in all corners of the bullpen – writer, art director, graphic designer and creative director. As producer for a commercial photography studio, I wear many hats but the one that makes me the most excited is when it’s time to shine in production – here I use my stylist and art director abilities to get every detail right.
Stylist + Producer – April Speed
Photographer - Paul Speed Photography
The Brand: Bush’s Garbanzo Beans
Content Creator + Art Director: April Speed
Photography: Paul Speed Photography
Smash It Up
A hummus recipe series featuring Bush’s Garbanzo Beans – or otherwise known as chickpeas. In this content-rich social media campaign, consumers are encouraged to explore trending cuisine with different kinds of beans.
The Brand: Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Bars
Creative Director/Art Director: April Speed
Photography: Guzman NY
"Respect Yourself in the Morning", stopped people when they were most vulnerable to bad food choices and helped grow the stalled Nutri-Gran business by nearly 30%. The power of this campaign was that the entire media plan was built around the key insight of ‘vulnerability’. Billboard space was purchased above fast food restaurants, near donut shops and around convenient stores, and TV spots ran during self-improvement shows - all the while making people think before they eat.
The Brand: Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Bars
Visual Storyteller: April Speed
Stealthy Writer: April Speed
Film Director: Hernandez Productions LA
This is a series of :30 second TV commercials that reside within a broader campaign titled “Respect Yourself in the Morning” for Nutri-Grain Bars. My partner and I wrote and created this effective and memorable campaign for our Kellogg’s client. The ask: Increase sales in the flat breakfast bar category by reminding busy people to eat something good for breakfast.
A simple, honest reminder to “Respect Yourself in the Morning”, stopped people in their tracks and got them to rethink their morning habits. Built on the insight that busy people are vulnerable to making bad food choices in the morning, this campaign illustrates the consequences of those choices. The effort grew the stalled Nutri-Grain business by nearly 30% within the 1st quarter.
The Brand: Hellmann’s
Creative Direction + Art: April Speed
Flavor wings flock to. Great salad dressings will draw food and customers in. Developed for both US and Canadian foodservice markets, this memorable campaign introduces the delicious core of Hellmann's Dressing from Unilever Food Solutions. Living in both the B2B and B2C space, we took an omni-channel marketing approach to reach out as far as we could.
