Experiences that made me Ellie Lavender

In this series, we ask Imagination talent all about the experiences that have made them who they are. This month we spoke to Ellie Lavender, Copywriter at Imagination London.

A bit about me…

I’m a northerner and middle sister.

A recipe tester, feeder and tablescaper.

Avid food photographer yet unofficial restaurant reviewer.

Ceramic coffee cup collector and wannabe potter.

David Hockney art admirer,

Wellness experimenter,

And a long-countryside-but-stop-midway-at-a-pub walker.

Wild summer swimmer, holiday road tripper and (plug) certified Airbnb super hoster.

Podcast recommender,

Internal overthinker,

People observer,

And a nostalgia seeker.

Also a spiders, peas and Oxford comma hater.

The creative experience that’s influenced me the most…

I went on a one-day, in-person travel writing workshop, which turned out to be a very intense seven hours. Reading my work out loud to a bunch of strangers and receiving feedback there and then was… a little scary. But it taught me how to write quickly, avoid cliches, use descriptions creatively and not be afraid to show off my work.

My industry hero is…

Whoever writes the marketing emails for Reformation.

The piece of work I’m most proud of…

A pilot podcast episode that I co-created with my friend. We hired a studio, got on a guest, interviewed them, and then edited a teaser trailer which had its own jingle and everything. It was so much fun to make and we often dream about starting one again.

The piece of work that makes me cringe…

After a boozy lunch in lockdown, and egged on by my sisters, I decided to create a foodstagram. Although I enjoyed running it at the time when there was little else to do but watch Tiger King, it was when the world started opening back up that I cringed at myself / worried that others would cringe on my behalf. Who am I to preach about eating seasonally and locally? The account is on a hiatus until I earn a bit more credibility.

The experience I wish I had created…

Last year, I discovered The Rochambeau Club, an imaginary tennis group that’s been conjured up to create the perfect aspirational setting for Racquet rosé. Through a tone of voice that’s very old-money snobbery, its website and socials are full of niche jokes, statements from a fake chairman and backstories from ‘members’. It’s hilariously good.

Advice to my 18-year-old self…

Change is good. Don’t fight it.

What’s next?

Doing some deep dives on different tones of voice to help brands sound and talk like themselves. Also toying with the idea of starting my own Substack (I'll let you know if I do).