Q&A

What is your WiFi network name?

"Midnight Snack", which is also what I'd name a racehorse. The best WiFi network name I've ever seen was "Walking Talking Stephen Hawking." I'd like to shake the hand of whoever came up with that.

What's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten?

Raw sea cucumber ovaries. When in Tokyo…

Have you ever gone viral?

INSIDER Travel featured a video of me jumping into a plunge pool in the Maldives. It got millions of views. I thought it was pretty cool until the comments started coming in. Most people were nice, but some folks were disappointed I didn't smack my chin on the cement. Others called me names for enjoying a plunge pool "WHEN THE OCEAN IS RIGHT THERE, YOU IDIOT." Keep it classy, Internet.

Coolest place you've been?

Antarctica. And it's all Instagram's fault! I'm a huge Insta-fangirl, but not for the reasons you're thinking. The platform just holds so much potential for brands (which is why I'm constantly trying to sell Instagram walls to my clients. Don't laugh!) I shop for hair stylists, contractors, even vacations on Instagram. My trip to Antarctica is a very expensive case in point. I wrote a pretty neat story about it on my agency's blog.

Did you start working in advertising for the free beer and bean bag chairs?

Not beer — it was the craft services table that won me over, on the set of a Heinz Ketchup commercial when I was four. (My twin sister and I were child models, only slightly less successful than Mary Kate and Ashley.) Since then, my reasons for loving this business have evolved. When I work on a brand, it's never "three TV spots and you're out." I'm in it for the long-haul. I love seeing how we can build brands at every possible touchpoint. No matter how big or small, if it communicates, it matters. I feel this philosophy is what's helped me become a trusted extension of my clients' teams and not just another creative behind the curtain. 

What's the best compliment you've ever received from a client?

After an exciting creative presentation to our client and their business partner in New Jersey, the CMO drove us to the airport and left me with the best compliment of my career: “Your words were perfect.” Those words were pretty perfect, too.

What's your favorite family tradition?

Every time we go to the grocery store, my husband and I are entitled to one impulse item each. Go big and/or go back home.

Do you have a dog?

Nope, just 4 house rabbits. But I keep a running list of 100 good dog names just in case! My #1 dog name: "Stromboli." 

Why do you go by Lauren M. Bell?

Because there are 100,000 Lauren Bells, but only one (thousand) Lauren M. Bells.